The Unclocker
by The ShadowEye
Summary: Ladybug and Chat Noir go up against an akuma who has the ability to send them back in time. In order to save a hostage, they have to face one of their previous akumas. Except, this time, luck isn't on their side.
1. Chapter 1: The Unclocker, Part 1

**So life got a little too complicated and too adult for me, so I did the reasonable thing and began watching cartoons, and this was born.**

 **If anyone here wants the time-travel-to-a-specific-moment-in-time-and-relive-life-after-that-moment-by-moment fic, this isn't it. This is primarily focused on just the akumas, thanks to the what-if portion of my brain that made me a writer in the first place, and since this is such a shipper fandom (which I may or may not love), I should warn that as much as I am a massive Adrinette shipper, I don't really write romance that much...**

 **Also, if anyone here was waiting on my Halloween week stories... sorry. I didn't have a good internet connection, so...**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Miraculous Ladybug._ All rights to their respective owners. **

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Unclocker, Part 1**

"Alya is going to kill me," Marinette muttered.

"I'm sure she'll understand," Tikki replied. "After all, you do sound sick. If you call her now, she might just believe you."

Marinette nodded and started searching for her phone.

She wasn't sick - as far as she knew - but the latest akuma, Blasto, had been tiring. Marinette had only barely made it back to her room before detransforming, and she doubted Chat Noir had even made it that far.

Marinette sighed as her phone went to voicemail. "Alya, I'm so sorry, but I'm feeling really sick right now - cough cough - so I'm going to have to pass on tonight. Tell Adrien that I'm sorry to miss him. Oh, and Alix too. Sorry."

"I'm sure she'll understand," Tikki said, cuddling on Marinette's chin. Marinette smiled and petted her head.

"I know," Marinette replied. "But tonight was supposed to be so huge. I mean, Mr. Agreste was going to be there, and Alya and Alix are both wearing my dresses - and that took forever to convince Alix to wear a dress - and..."

"Marinette," Tikki chided. "It's fine. You need the rest."

Marinette sighed. "Yeah. You're right. Besides, they'll be other opportunities."

"Exactly!"

Marinette closed her eyes, and just as she was on the verge of falling asleep, her phone buzzed.

With a groan, Marinette opened her eyes and checked to see what it was.

And an akuma notification popped up.

* * *

Adrien collapsed against the wall, exhausted but relieved.

The second Nathalie saw him, she cancelled the party. His father didn't excuse him from events for much, but health was an issue he took very seriously - and both he and Nathalie could tell when Adrien was feeling sick or not (which is why Adrien could never get away with lying about a cold, not that he had ever wanted to).

Plagg was already asleep, worn out after the battle. Adrien was close to falling asleep himself. Blasto had been a tough battle, especially for him, and while Ladybug's powers cured the bruises his muscles still ached. He had detransformed mid-battle and had been forced to hide in the ceiling of the small shop the akuma had trapped them in, and had used up his cataclysm almost immediately after transforming back. On top of that, he had been forced to walk back home, since his transformation had worn off quickly and the subway hadn't reopened yet after Blasto's attack.

Adrien was ready to fall asleep right there and then, but then his phone beeped.

"Another akuma? Already?" Adrien asked.

With effort, Adrien pushed himself off the floor and walked over to the bed, where Plagg was curled up around a half-eaten piece of cheese.

Adrien poked Plagg awake. "You better finish eating that cheese, because we need to transform."

* * *

Alya eyed the purse by her side. How to get to it?

It seemed silly to reach for her phone in the middle of a crisis, but she knew she had to blog this. Ladybug had no doubt heard of the akuma already, but if she didn't know what the akuma was...

Chloe, to Alya's surprise, followed her gaze down to her purse and made a short nod. Neither girl - nor Alix - had their hands tied, unlike everyone else in the building, but they were pretending to so they could fly under the radar. The akuma was powerful, but the party was large and there was no way the akuma would notice three teenage girls cowering in the corner.

Chloe kicked Alix's ankle, grabbing her attention away from the akuma, and tilted her head towards Alya's purse. Alix frowned for a moment, but soon realization dawned in her eyes and she slowly started adjusting her position so Alya was blocked from the akuma's view. Alya smiled in thanks and very slowly reached for her purse.

"What do you think you're doing!"

Alya froze as she found the akuma's glare directed at her.

"She's reaching for her purse, can't you tell?" Chloe snapped back.

The akuma snarled. "And why would you do that?"

"Because..." Alya stammered out. "My... my inhaler is in here. And I need it. I can't breathe-" Alya faked gasping for breath. One of her sisters had asthma, so it was easy to do. "Please I... I think I might be having an attack."

The akuma snarled but kicked Alya's purse towards her. Alya made a big show of struggling to reach it through her hands-supposedly-tied-behind-her-back, and the akuma walked away.

Alya found her phone and dropped it behind her back before twisting herself around and pretending to use an inhaler.

Alix scouted another hair over and Alya picked up her phone again.

Alya quickly glanced at her phone to find the app, but resigned herself to do the rest behind her back. She easily found the live-stream button, and then slowly brought the phone around.

"No!" The akuma shrieked, snatching the phone out from Alya's hand. The akuma raised the phone, but paused as a butterfly mask appeared around her face.

"Is this still recording?" The akuma asked. Alya nodded. "Good."

* * *

Ladybug received the live-stream notice just as she landed on the rooftop of the hotel.

The camera at first showed the back of the dress Marinette had designed for Alya before the angle changed and Ladybug could see the akuma.

She looked to be about 20, though it was hard to tell with akumas. The girl had a vampire-white face with gold lips and heavy gold eyeshadow, and long jet-black hair braided into pig-tails. She wore a long-sleeve, knee-length puffy black dress with gold accents, and thigh-high laced black boots. Around her neck, she wore a bright gold necklace.

She had on gold silk gloves, and a bluish-black wristwatch on her right hand.

She shrieked when she saw the camera.

Ladybug turned from the video as she felt her partner land next to her.

"Ready for another fight?" Ladybug asked.

"I'm always ready," Chat Noir replied. "Who are we up against?"

Ladybug gestured to the video, and Chat Noir leaned in to watch.

The camera angle changed, and the akuma's face appeared in the center - as if she was now holding the phone.

"Hello, Ladybug. I am The Unclocker, and I want to play a little game."

* * *

 **Life tip: when life makes you adult, watch younger, simple, brightly-colored cartoons.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Unclocker, Part 2

**Short chapter today, but I needed to set the foundations for the rest of the story. Next chapter will be more interesting**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Miraculous Ladybug._ All rights to their respective owners. **

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Unclocker, Part 2**

Ladybug knew it was a trap the second she landed in the room.

"Where is everyone?" Chat Noir asked, automatically turning to cover Ladybug's back.

"No idea," Ladybug replied. She slowly walked through the room, watching for any signs of what had happened.

She must have triggered something, because a couple steps later, the lights went off.

Chat Noir grabbed her arm and pushed her down, and Ladybug hit the floor right as the lights turned back on.

Something smashed against the wall behind Ladybug. She looked the other way and saw The Unclocker smirking at them, a pile of dishes at her foot.

"A bowl?" Chat Noir taunted. "Is that the best you can do?"

The Unclocker raised her hands in a mock surrender. "Perhaps you should try to touch me, see who had the upper hand."

Ladybug, already knowing what was going to happen, threw her yoyo at The Unclocker. As she predicted, it flew right through her.

"Great," Char Noir muttered.

"You can't touch me," The Unclocker stated, picking up a dish. "But I can touch you."

Ladybug and Chat Noir were both forced duck as the plate soared over them.

"So, you can't win," The Unclocker continued. "And I don't have any battle-like powers, so I doubt I can win. So we're at a standstill. Well, except for one thing."  
The Unclocker snapped her fingers, and slowly her captives blurred into view.

And, of course, Alya was the one gagged at her feet.

"I have a proposition to make," The Unclocker said. "You need to free the captives. I need to tire you out. So, we can make a deal. For every one of my challenges you complete, I will release one captive."

Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged looks.

"Doesn't sound like we much choice," Chat Noir stated. Ladybug nodded.

"And what would these challenges be?" Ladybug asked.

The Unclocker smiled. "Glad you asked. The challenge is simple - go back in time and defeat all the old akumas. Except this time, luck isn't on your side."

Ladybug gritted her teeth. For several of the old akumas, she wasn't sure luck had been on there side in the first place.

The Unclocker laughed. "Don't worry, you can choose which to fight. Though you will run out of choices soon. And anytime you want to give up - well, you know what the price is. So, who do you want to fight first?"

Ladybug turned to Chat Noir. "Any ideas?"

"Stoneheart, maybe?" Chat Noir suggested. "He was an easier one."

Ladybug frowned. "He nearly killed Mylene and Chloe."

"Only the second time," Chat Noir said. "If we beat him right the first time around, we can avoid that."

"There's also the fact that he was akumitised before we - or at least before I got my miraculous," Ladybug agree. "That sounds a little too much like playing with fate."

"True," Chat Noir agreed. "But still, I think he was the easiest to beat - neither of us had any idea what we were doing and we still managed to defeat him pretty quickly."

"You're probably right," Ladybug decided. "But the thought still makes me uneasy."

"This whole thing makes me uneasy," Chat Noir replied. "You can't think of any way to fight her straight on, can you?"

Ladybug shook her head. "Maybe these challenges will give us enough time to think of something."

"So have you come to an agreement?" The Unclocker called.

Ladybug nodded. "I think we have. We choose Stoneheart."

"Good. Now close your eyes."

Ladybug exchanged a worried look with Chat Noir before obeying. It seemed like a horrible idea, but if it was the only way to save the hostages...

Wind started to pick up, and soon all Ladybug could feel was the wind. It felt like she was floating in mid-air, and she began to panic when she felt her transformation wear off.

"Now open your eyes."

Ladybug opened her eyes, and gasped as all feeling rushed back to her body.

* * *

 **Thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews that have been left so far! I'm very surprised, and I hope this story will go on to earn all the responses!**


	3. Chapter 3: Stoneheart, Part 1

**So so so so so sorry about the late update! I had a gig all weekend, was busy all week and then I was at family's yesterday. I'll try to get another chapter up this weekend to make up for it.**

 **This chapter is the big one - the first akuma they have to face. I hope you enjoy!**

 **To the guest reviewer Lazuli - thanks for reviewing, and enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Miraculous Ladybug,_ otherwise me and my roommate would not be stuck waiting for the next episode. **

* * *

**Chapter 3: Stoneheart, Part 1**

Marinette opened her eyes to find herself in the library at her school.

 _Study hall_ , she remembered. Right now, Ivan would be at the principles office, being akumatised. Next to her, Alya was talking about something on her phone.

Marinette found it odd to think that earlier that day, the two of them had met for the first time - and that she hadn't even met Char Noir or Adrien yet.

Marinette shook the thoughts out of her head. That wasn't important. What was important was stopping Stoneheart.

"You okay girl?" Alya asked.

"Yeah," Marinette replied. "I just have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

Marinette was only a couple steps away from the table when the whole school shook.

 _Here we go_...

* * *

Adrien opened his eyes to a disappointed look on his father's face.

 _This conversation again?_ He thought. He had forgotten what else had happened while Ivan was akumatised, and found himself caught off guard. Adrien did his best to replay the conversation as he remembered it, darting to his room the second he was free. If he remembered correctly, Stoneheart should be arriving in the nearby streets soon...

His room shook, nearly knocking Adrien off his feet as he looked for the little black box he knew was in his room.

* * *

"None of Hawkmoth's victims in the past were capable of mind-reading," Tikki continued as Marinette finished securing her earrings back in her ears. "In fact, I've never seen the moth brooch capable of giving mind-reading as a secondary power. I wouldn't worry about it."

"That's good to know," Marinette replied. "Anyways, we should be heading to the stadium-"

"Wait!" Tikki exclaimed. "Don't you want to come up with a plan?"

"I'd rather make sure we get Kim out of harm's way first," Marinette replied, but the comment still sent the gears in her mind turning. The first time they had defeated Stoneheart, they had done so by having him catch the wetsuit, then forcing his hand open. But that required a lucky charm...

"Do you think using my power is safe?" Marinette questioned.

"That I cannot say," Tikki replied. "There's a chance this is all a vision - in which case, it would be safe. But in case it isn't, I wouldn't use the lucky charm until absolutely necessary."

"And if I can't use my lucky charm," Marinette added. "Then I should see if I can find something here that could help us. But what would Stoneheart want to catch besides me?"

* * *

"So don't use your cataclysm unless absolutely necessary," Plagg finished.

"Right," Adrien said. "We didn't need it the first time anyways."

"And don't get injured," Plagg added. "We don't know whether Ladybug's cure will work here."

"That might prove to be more difficult," Adrien admitted. "Anything else?"

"If you find cheese, take some," Plagg replied.

Adrien rolled his eyes. "Of course. Plagg - claws out!"

* * *

Ladybug landed on the top of the stadium just as a building collapsed on the skyline.

"Oops," she mumbled. "Forgot about that."

Below her, gym class was still going on. Ladybug picked Kim out easily from the crowd, and, judging from the time, had a couple of minutes to get him to safety. But how? Ladybug didn't have the same authority now as she did in the future.

"Have a plan, my lady?" Chat Noir landed easily besides Ladybug, a trademark smile on his lips.

Ladybug nodded and showed him her makeshift lucky charm. "Remember Pharoah? I'm thinking the same trick might work on Stoneheart."

"Get him to open his hand," Chat Noir realized. "And without you using your lucky charm. Think it will work?"

"I hope so," Ladybug replied. "He should be here soon. I'll get Kim to safety - maybe back to his school. Can you cover for me?"

"Don't I always?" Chat Noir questioned. The ground shook again.

"I need to be going," Ladybug stated. "See you in a minute." "Can't wait," Chat Noir replied, giving her a mock salute as Ladybug zipped down to the gym class.

"Listen to me," she stated. "I know you don't know who I am, but you're all in danger, and you need to go home now." The students scattered as the gym teacher tried to calm the class down.

"Kim, I need to get you to safety. Grab on." Ladybug offered Kim a hand, and with great hesitation, Kim took it. Using her other hand, she wound up her your and tossed it to the nearest building.

"What are you- ah!" Kim asked as they zipped off. With practiced ease she definitely didn't have the first time around, Ladybug easily found the school and dropped Kim off in the courtyard.

"Stay here," Ladybug commanded. "You should be safe."

"What's going on?" Kim asked. "Who are you?"

"The boy you teased earlier has been akumatised - that is, turned into a super villain," Ladybug explained. "And I'm here to stop him."

"Who, Ivan?" Kim asked. "But he wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Normally, no," Ladybug agreed. "But he's not completely in control right now. I know it's hard to believe, but soon this will make sense. You just have to trust me."

"You still haven't told me your name," Kim pointed out.

"Ladybug. My name is Ladybug, and I have this situation completely under control."

* * *

Chat Noir winced as he was thrown back _again_.

 _So much for not getting injured_ , he thought as he stood up. He didn't remember Stoneheart being this hard to beat, but The Unclocker's words still ran through his mind. _This time, luck isn't on your side_. Chat Noir grimaced and picked his baton off the ground. Ladybug would be back soon, and with her plan, Stoneheart would (hopefully) be defeated quickly.

She just had to get here first.

* * *

 **Oh, and big shout-out to my roommie for joining this fandom with me!**


	4. Chapter 4: Stoneheart, Part 2

**Sorry for the lack of updating!**

 **Disclaimer: see previous disclaimers.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Stoneheart, Part 2**

Stoneheart raised his fist as the yoyo wrapped around his legs.

With a tug, Stoneheart face-planted into the ground.

Ladybug recalled her yoyou back to her as she landed next to Chat Noir.

"Ready to take him down?" Chat Noir asked, as Stoneheart struggled back to his feet.

"Ready," Ladybug replied.

And then everything went wrong.

Stoneheart reached for the nearest object to throw, and picked up one of the soccer goals. Overcome with a sense of Deja Vu, Ladybug turned around and spotted Alya near one of the exits. As Chat Noir pulled Ladybug out of the way of goal, Ladybug threw her yoyo at Alya, wrapped in around her waist, and pulled her out of the way.

A half-second later Stoneheart grabbed Ladybug and Chat Noir in his free hand, and Ladybug's yoyo was yanked from her hand.

A full second later and the goal crashed in where Alya had been a second ago.

"Go Super Red Bug!" Alya cheered.

"Did she call you that the first time around?" Chat Noir asked, squirming around to angle his baton some place useful.

"I think so," Ladybug answered. "Do you mind hurrying?"

"Trying to go as fast as I can," Chat Noir grumbled before letting out a victorious "Aha!"

His staff extended, pushing Stoneheart's hand open and dropping the two superheroes onto the ground.

"Now we just have to be picked up again in a position I can throw the earrings," Ladybug grumbled.

"Sounds like fun," Chat Noir replied.

Stoneheart pounded his fist into the ground, forcing Chat Noir and Ladybug to roll away.

Ladybug took the earrings she had grabbed from her room out of her yoyo - the only place in her superhero outfit she could really hide anything, and prepared to spring.

Meanwhile, Chat Noir kept Stoneheart distracted and Alya enthusiastically shot more video.

Stoneheart grabbed the other goal out of the ground, and Ladybug wrapped her yoyo around its post and attempted to yank it - and Stoneheart's arm - towards her.

Stoneheart pulled backwards and Ladybug found herself flying through the sky.

"Ow," she complained, rubbing her head where she landed. The goal crashed to the ground next to her.

Ladybug gritted her teeth, grabbed her yoyo and fake earrings, and stood up to Stoneheart again just as he reached down and grabbed Chat Noir again.

 _Perfect_ , Ladybug thought, watching the Hawk Moth mask appear over Stoneheart's eyes.

"Your miraculous," Stoneheart croaked. "Or the cat will be a pancake."

"Not very good villain dialogue," Chat Noir commented. "Have you tried making puns?"

Both Ladybug and Stoneheart ignored him.

"You want my miraculous?" Ladybug asked, raising her fist with the fake earrings. "Here, have it!"

Ladybug executed a beautiful throw, and watched as Stoneheart's eyes followed the earrings.

And as he dropped Chat Noir and not the akuma to catch them.

Chat Noir rolled out of the way and came up standing next to Ladybug. "Well, that didn't go to plan. Any other ideas?"

Ladybug frowned, trying to think. "If we can't get him to open his hand, then we have to find some way to force it."

"How would we do that?" Chat Noir asked.

Ladybug looked around. Like last time, there was a hose at her feet, but Alya wasn't near the faucet this time. So getting caught and turning it on wasn't going to work...

"What if we destroy the akuma another way, instead of stomping on it like we normally do?" Ladybug suggested.

"What do you mean?" Chat Noir asked.

"Well, the akuma's made of paper, right? What if we get it wet?" Ladybug explained.

Chat Noir frowned. "But didn't it turn to stone when Ivan was akumatised?"

"Did it?" Ladybug asked. "I don't remember."

"Still, if we get his hand wet, it will be slippery," Chat Noir said. "Maybe if it gets wet, I can slide my baton in."

Ladybug shook her head. "That would just make it harder. We need a different plan... do you think getting splashed in the face with water would make him bigger?"

Chat Noir grinned. "I doubt it. Would you like to do the honors?"

"Distract him," Ladybug replied, grabbing the end of the hose and darting over to the faucet to turn it on.

With a couple of near-hits, Chat Noir turned Stoneheart around to face Ladybug right as she turned the hose on.

The water hit him right in the face.

Stumbling backwards, Stoneheart raised both hands to shield his face. As he did so, his grip on the akuma lessened and the paper-turned-rock fell to the ground. Chat Noir used his baton to hit the rock towards Ladybug, and she smashed it under her foot.

And then the winds returned.

"Congratulations," The Unclocker greeted. "That's one marked off. Who would you like freed?"

Chat Noir looked at Ladybug for permission before speaking. "One of the service members first."

Ladybug bit her tongue to keep from commenting. She wanted her parents out of there, but part of her realized it wasn't a good idea to specify that in front of one of Hawk Moth's victims. So she stayed silent.

The Unclocker snapped her fingers, and one of the assistant cooks ran out in a hurry.

"Choose your next battle," she said.

"Any ideas?" Chat Noir asked.

Ladybug ran through a list of the earlier akumas in her head. Bubbler was dangerous, with all the adults floating so high in the sky, and Stormy Weather endangered Manon.

"Mr. Pigeon maybe?" Ladybug suggested. Chat Noir made a face but didn't argue.

"Chosen already?" The Unclocker questioned. "Well, let's hope it's a wise choice. Off you go."

* * *

 **This fight was short compared to what's coming next...**


	5. Chapter 5: Mr Pigeon, Part 1

**Thanks to all who have reviewed, and I apologize for not getting around to respond to reviews as much as usual. The whole be-more-active thing during December didn't work, so...**

 **Disclaimer: Still not mine**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Mr. Pigeon, Part 1**

"Oh come on, we have to have chips somewhere..." Marinette muttered, closing the cabinet louder than what was strictly necessary. "Looks like we'll have to go to the store."

"Don't worry Marinette," Tikki piped up. "You have plenty of time. If you remember, he first time you fought Mr. Pigeon it was a while before either you or Chat Noir showed up - and even longer before you found him!"

"I know," Marinette replied. "But it's supposed to be more dangerous this time, right?"

"But Mr. Pigeon is a kind soul underneath the akuma," Tikki added. "He wouldn't hurt anyone - he just wants pigeons to take over Paris!"

"Yeah, you're right," Marinette agreed. "I guess to the store it is."

* * *

Adrien glanced over his shoulder again, looking for his bodyguard. If his father found out about this...

Most likely, he wouldn't be around to witness his response - the battle with Stoneheart ended the moment Ladybug crushed the Akuma - but he had no idea if the changes made lasted.

Adrien grabbed the chips off the shelf and made his way to the check-out, surprised when he recognized someone in the line in front of him.

Marinette smiled nervously at him, and Adrien waved at her. Being at the front of the line, she didn't have time to wave back before paying for her food.

Which was the exact same bag of chips he was buying.

* * *

Ladybug landed on a building next to the hotel where - if her memory was correct - Mr. Pigeon would be. She had her bag of chips next to her, and was only waiting for her partner.

It wasn't long before he arrived.

"Sorry I took so long," Chat Noir said, holding up a bag of chips like hers. "I had to run a little errand."

"Looks like we had the same idea," Ladybug replied, holding up her own bag of chips.

"Well, what can I say?" Char Noir questioned. "Great minds think alike. So, what's the plan?"

"I'm thinking we go in scatter the chips and see where that leads us," Ladybug replied, opening her bag of chips. "Ready?"

Chat Noir nodded as he opened his bag of chips. And then sneezed.

"Well, we're definitely in the right place," Ladybug commented.

"I really hated this one," Chat Noir complained.

"I know, but Mr. Pigeon was one of the kindest akumas," Ladybug said. "If something goes wrong, it will hurt us, not anyone else - unlike Bubbler or Stormy Weather."

"Yeah, I know," Chat Noir agreed before sneezing again. "Doesn't mean I have to like it. So, are we taking him down or what?"

Ladybug grinned. "Ready when you are."

"Ready."

And then they charged.

Ladybug hit the roof of the hotel just as pigeons were beginning to swarm their bait, and started spreading out her chips onto the ground. Chat Noir landed a second behind her, and soon the pigeons were preoccupied with the chips.

"Where are you Mr. Pigeon?" Chat Noir called with a stuffy-sounding voice.

"I'm right here."

Ladybug and Chat Noir turned to see Mr. Pigeon standing on a flock of pigeons - how did that even work? - just off the edge of the roof.

"I see you've distracted my little friends," Mr. Pigeon admitted. "But unfortunately for you, chips only last so long."

"We don't need long," Chat Noir replied, holding up his half-empty bag of chips. The birds under Mr. Pigeon's feet started getting agitated, and before Mr. Pigeon could calm them, they flew at the food and dumped their rider on the roof. Chat Noir tossed his bag away as the birds flocked to it, and Ladybug smugly walked up to Mr. Pigeon as Hawk Moth's mask appeared over his face.

Just as she was approaching him, he blew his bird whistle and, to the sound of Chat Noir's sneezes, another flock of birds appeared.

"Huh?" Ladybug said intelligently.

"Thought I'd be defeated that easily?" Mr. Pigeon asked. "Well, you greatly underestimated just how many of my friends are in Paris. Coo! Coo!"

The birds swarmed Ladybug, and she was forced to spin her yoyo into a shield to keep from being overwhelmed. The birds backed off for a moment, and Ladybug thought she had them under control.

Then the other pigeons finished their food and attacked her from behind.

Surprised, Ladybug momentarily dropped her shield, and almost instantly two of the pests grabbed the yoyo and started tugging it away from her. Ladybug held on until she was at the edge of the roof, but by then too many birds were pulling on her and she could only lean back against their weight.

Behind her, Chat Noir was fighting through his allergies to defend her as she played tug-of-war with the birds, doing his best not to hurt any of the pests but still keeping any from slipping through his guard and attacking Ladybug.

"Paris belongs to the pigeons!" Mr. Pigeon declared. "Now, hand over your miraculouses before the rest of my troops get here.

"There's more?" Chat Noir asked, somehow managing a sneeze while keeping his defense up.

"Oh, there's much more coming," Mr. Pigeon declared. "You are outnumbered. Give me your miraculouses!"

"Not a... chance!" Ladybug said, still fighting the pigeons.

A bird slipped through Chat Noir's defense and nipped at Ladybug's ear, and Ladybug wondered if the birds could really take her earrings off. And she couldn't defend herself, with her hands full...

Another pigeon dived at her, and she resorted to head-butting the stupid bird. To her surprise, it worked and the bird flew off. A couple more birds joined the tug-of-war, and Ladybug found herself almost pulled over the edge.

"Chat Noir, a little help!" Ladybug called.

"I am helping!" Chat Noir replied.

"I mean with the yoyo!" Ladybug replied. "I don't know how much longer I can hold on!"

"Ready to surrender yet?" Mr. Pigeon asked.

"Not quite!" Ladybug replied, ignoring her arms cramping.

Chat Noir sneezed, and then yelped. Ladybug could only glance back, but she saw a couple pigeons attacking his ring hand. The attack was making his defense falter, and soon more pigeons were dive-bombing Ladybug.

Another one nipped her ear. A different bird nearly managed to gouged her eye out. A third grabbed hold of her hair and started tugging. That one got a whack from Chat Noir.

All the while Ladybug was running out of strength to hold on.

Chat Noir sneezed violently, and a bird flew at his face and forced him to abandon his baton-spinning and cover his head. About five more birds zoomed past the two superheroes and added to the tug-of-war.

Ladybug almost tipped over the edge, and in an attempt to keep her balance, she let go of her yoyo.

* * *

 **Sorry not sorry about that cliffhanger...**


	6. Chapter 6: Mr Pigeon, Part 2

**Shorter than usual, but there's two more chapters of Mr. Pigeon left, so...**

 **Disclaimer: All lefts go to their respective owners. Oh, and rights too.**

 **(Has anyone noticed that I reuse my Disclaimers between JAMFHGS and this story yet?)**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Mr. Pigeon, Part 2**

"No!" Ladybug yelped as she watched her weapon fly away.

"You have been disarmed," Mr. Pigeon observed. "Ready to surrender yet?"

"Never," Ladybug growled, turning to face him. Her view was promptly blocked by more pigeons.

That was it. She now had a profound hatred for birds.

Chat Noir regained his stance next to her, casting a concerned glance over his shoulder. Ladybug gave him a small smile - she was fine, and a loss of weapon wasn't going to keep her from fighting.

"Well, then," Mr. Pigeon replied. "I guess we'll have to proceed with plan B."

The cage landed around them with a clunk, and Ladybug was almost glad to see it if it meant the pigeons couldn't touch them now. Chat Noir sneezed again and gave Ladybug a watery look that quickly became concern.

"You're bleeding," he observed, touching her ear where one of the pigeons had attacked her.

"So are you," Ladybug noted, wiping blood off his nose.

"I hate birds," Chat Noir grumbled, touching where the cut was and pulling his hand away to see the blood. Apparently, he hadn't realized he was bleeding either.

"Agreed," Ladybug replied.

"Then you're about to get what you deserve," Mr. Pigeon declared before blowing into his whistle. All the pigeons turned around and raised their tail feathers.

"You remember Evilustrator?" Ladybug asked. "How you got out of that box?"

Chat Noir grinned. "On it."

He separated his baton into two and placed one piece on the floor and extended it upwards. The pigeons pushed down in response, but the baton won and the cage was lifted off of the ground and tipped over. This time, though, it didn't have the decency to land on Mr. Pigeon.

Chat Noir grabbed one of the baton halves and handed the other one to Ladybug, and they prepared themselves to fight.

And then the cage fell right back on them.

"Well, that's not a problem we had the first time," Ladybug muttered.

"Nice try," Mr. Pigeon stated. "But your miraculouses, please."

"You know something about bars, Mr. Pigeon?" Ladybug asked. "Things can get through them!"

She pointed her half of the baton at Mr. Pigeon, and then realized she had no clue how to extend it. So instead, she gave Chat Noir a pointed look.

He grinned, and a second later his baton was extending towards Mr. Pigeon. It pushed him back a few paces before tilting upwards in an attempt to grab the whistle.

Mr. Pigeon grabbed the end of the baton."I wouldn't do that if I were you. After all, what are you going to purify it with?"

Chat Noir faltered, and looked over at Ladybug.

Oops. She hadn't thought of that. She needed her yoyo...

"See?" Mr. Pigeon taunted. "You can't beat me, but I definitely can beat you! Pigeons, attack!"

Chat Noir responded by pushing Mr. Pigeon back a couple feet. "We can still fight."

"But why? You can't win," Mr. Pigeon replied.

"Not yet," Ladybug declared. "But that doesn't mean can't beat you eventually."

"Oh, but eventually is very tiring, don't you think?" Mr. Pigeon replied. "I mean, why wait so you can win _eventually_ when you can surrender now?"

"But we can't," Ladybug answered. "We can't and we won't surrender to you."

"Such a shame," Mr. Pigeon said. "I was hoping to do this peacefully. But, as you said, the thing with bars are that things can get through them."

Only a couple pigeons flew into the cage, but in such close quarters, it was enough to be difficult to fend off - especially for Ladybug, who wasn't using her usual weapon.

Chat Noir gritted his teeth. "This isn't working."

Ladybug barely had time to process that remark before Chat Noir summoned his cataclysm and broke down the bars. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the cage, and they ran for the staircase. They barely made it, and even as they shut the door the pigeons were ramming into it.

"You used your cataclysm," Ladybug stated.

Chat Noir nodded. "I didn't have a choice." The pigeons rammed the door again, and Ladybug realized it might not hold this time.

"We have to go," Ladybug said, grabbing Chat Noir's hand and pulling him down the stairs. A second later, the door burst open

The two superheroes tore down the stairs, the pigeons at their heels. On another day, they might have been able to outrun the pests, but as it was they were barely staying ahead. Chat Noir wobbled every time he sneezed, and Ladybug was beginning to trip over the steps.

Fatigue was catching up them. The Unclocker's plan was working.

Ladybug and Chat Noir burst through the door and into the first floor, and Ladybug barely wasted any time before tossing Chat Noir into the supply closet she had detransformed in after defeating Lady Wifi.

The flock of pigeons that had followed her was few in number, and despite the burning in her arms Ladybug managed to whack most of the pigeons down. She felt bad for harming the animals, but reminded herself there wasn't much choice left. She almost let herself feel relieved before she heard the sound of more pigeons.

Great.

* * *

 **I have no problem with pigeons. All characters' opinions on pigeons do not reflect my own.**


	7. Chapter 7: Mr Pigeon, Part 3

**I was surprised by how well my googling for this chapter worked out...**

 **Disclaimer: In addition to what I did not own in the previous chapters, I do not own the Marvel quote.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Mr. Pigeon, Part 3**

The pigeon had managed to cut through his mask somehow, so Adrien was forced to detransform again once he reached the suite.

The pigeons had finally given up about ten minutes after he detransformed in that closet, and it was a long time before Ladybug found him some cheese. Then, Adrien transformed long enough for a staff member to lead them to a room to regroup.

Now, the two superheroes were recovering in one of the nicer two-bedroom suites, one in each room detransformed.

One of the workers at the hotel had procured that type of cream that was supposed to be put on open cuts, and that was what Adrien was applying to the gashes on his face.

Fortunately, his mask was the only thing the birds had cut through, so he only had the couple of scratches on his face. They had also gone after his ring, but only managed to bruise his finger. It still hurt, definitely, but at least it wasn't bleeding.

Just as Plagg finished his second helping of cheese, Adrien heard the pigeons start banging on the window again.

And promptly sneezed.

* * *

Marinette dabbed the cuts on her ear with the cream she was given.

Initially, she hadn't realized how close the pigeons had come to ripping off her earrings, but now she could see the damage. A couple more tries and they might have succeeded - as it was, her ears were more cuts than skin.

"I've always hated how much this type of cream burns," Marinette muttered, grabbing a clean tissue and putting more cream on it. "You'd think they'd make a cream meant for injuries hurt a little less."

When Tikki didn't respond, Marinette turned to make sure she was okay, but she just had a mouth full of cookie. Marinette sighed and went back to taking care of her ears.

The pigeons had hurt so much more this time around, and that scared her. She was still a little bruised from Stoneheart, too - though not enough to hinder her - and if all the injuries from every akuma stayed, and the akumas fought harder than the first one, and they just kept adding up...

There had to be a better way to beat The Unclocker - otherwise Marinette wasn't sure they could. The Unclocker had to have a weakness, or a blind spot, or _something_. If they couldn't touch her, but she could touch them...

"How do we know she can touch us?" Marinette asked.

Tikki made a noise through her cookie that might have been a "what?"

"The Unclocker," Marinette explained. "She said she could touch us, but she never did. We dodged all her attempts."

"You think she was bluffing?" Tikki asked.

Marinette nodded. "It's a possibility. But it's also a possibility she wasn't."

"And what would change if she was?" Tikki asked.

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked.

"How would your strategy change if you thought she was bluffing?" Tikki clarified.

Marinette frowned. "Hmm... well, I guess it wouldn't really. We _know_ we can't touch her, and she still has all the hostages..." Marinette put the lid back on the cream and picked up the bandages she had found in the hotel room's First Aid kit.

"We know _she_ can touch the hostages," Marinette continued. "But can we? Is there some way we can free them without going through these tests?"

"It would be something to think about," Tikki agreed.

"There's a lot to think about," Marinette replied. "But right now we need to do our best to free hostages this way, and keep them out of danger."

"Do you have a plan?" Tikki questioned.

Marinette sighed. "Not quite yet. The chip thing only works as a momentary distraction, and there's too many of them now to be affective. I can't think of anything else that could affect a pigeon."

"Maybe someone else would know," Tikki suggested.

"Who? Chat Noir?"

"I was thinking of people a little farther away," Tikki admitted.

Marinette frowned, trying to figure out that piece of cryptic advice. Farther away? Was she supposed to call someone? Text someone? And who? She guessed she could look up someone's number... Oh.

"I can't believe I didn't think of that before!" Marinette said, reaching into her pocket and finding her phone - which she had instinctively grabbed when she left her home.

"How to get rid of pigeons," Marinette said as she typed it into Google. She scrolled through the options. Plastic snakes. Bird spikes. String. Plastic owls. Wind chimes.

"I don't know how many of these we could use," Marinette said. "Hmmm... here's something. Old CDs, pepper powder - do you think the kitchen might have some?"

"Probably," Tikki agreed. "I'm sure they'd be glad to help you too!"

"Yeah, and with Chat Noir's help..."

* * *

"So you don't think the cataclysm is going to be a problem?" Adrien asked. The pigeons were growing louder, and he was anxious to change back, but Plagg had started talking and so he decided to listen.

"I'm charged up again," Plagg replied. "So I won't need to eat again when we go back... or forwards I guess. Just don't use it again, you won't have time."

"Right," Adrien said. "Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

"Old CDs?" The mayor asked. "Well, I'll see what I can do."

"The spices shouldn't be a problem," Chef Cesaire added. "We'll have them in a moment."

"Thank you," Ladybug replied. "You're being a great help."

"Anything to help," Chef Cesaire replied. With a smile, she walked back to her kitchen and started telling her chefs what to do.

"I'm sure I'll find something you can use," the mayor added, gesturing for the worker nearest to him to follow him out of the room.

"There you are."

Ladybug turned and saw Chat Noir behind her, doing his leaning-against-the-doorframe-to-try-to-look-cool thing he liked to do.

"Have trouble finding me?" Ladybug asked.

She was somewhat hidden, in a room near the kitchen the mayor had found so they could talk in peace, and Chat Noir had probably tried to find her in the room she had been in the last time they fought Mr. Pigeon and he was forced to recharge.

"A little," Chat Noir admitted. "What were you doing in here?"

"Gathering supplies," Ladybug explained. "I looked up some things that are supposed to repel pigeons. Old CD's are supposed to scare them off - their reflection or something like that startled them - and they don't like spices either."

"Scared of their own reflection, huh?" Chat Noir replied. "Couldn't you just use a mirror."

"I- uh..." Ladybug answered. "Didn't actually think of that. Though a mirror would be too big for my plan."

"So you do have a plan?" Chat Noir asked.

"I have... 12% of a plan," Ladybug said.

"Isn't that a Marvel quote?" Chat Noir questioned.

"That's not relevant," Ladybug replied.

"It is, isn't it?" Chat Noir taunted.

"Your spices, Ladybug."

Glad for the interruption, Ladybug smiled at Chef Cesaire and took the bag of spices from her hands.

"Thank you," Ladybug said.

"Of course. If you need anything else..." Ladybug nodded that she understood, and Chef Cesaire went back to whatever she had been doing before the pigeons attacked. As she left, the mayor arrived with a box in his hands.

"All I could find," he said as he handed the box to Ladybug.

"Thanks," she replied.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" The mayor asked, though Ladybug had a feeling he was asking out of politeness more than anything.

"Just keep everyone calm and indoors," Ladybug replied. "And stay safe."

"Of course." And with that the mayor scurried out.

Ladybug turned to Chat Noir.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

* * *

 **"12% of a plan" is originally a Marvel quote, not mine.**


	8. Chapter 8: Mr Pigeon, Part 4

**This was a fun chapter to write...**

 **Disclaimer: Look up at the URL. This is fanfiction. I'm a fan. I do not own nor claim to own _Miraculous Ladybug._**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Mr. Pigeon, Part 4**

"Alright, so sneak attack is out," Ladybug stated. "But theoretically, the pigeons don't like spices, so if we cover ourselves with spices, they won't attack. If we use the CDs to scare them off, we can just go in and take Mr. Pigeon's whistle."

"Sounds like a plan," Chat Noir replied.

It was difficult, keeping the spices out of their eyes, but soon enough the two superheroes were covered head-to-toe in cinnamon and pepper. Ladybug tied one CD to each side of her yoyo, and Chat Noir tried and failed to do the same to his baton.

With a sneak attack out, due to Chat Noir's sneezing, neither hero saw the point of using the ceiling entrance, so they strolled into the building instead.

Mr. Pigeon was waiting for them, his bird army posed for attach.

"Game over, Mr. Pigeon," Chat Noir declared.

"What? No pun?" Mr. Pigeon asked. "Not very typical of you, Chat Noir."

"I didn't want to bird-en you with it," Chat Noir replied.

Ladybug groaned.

"How kind of you!" Mr. Pigeon said. "But I'm afraid I can't return the favor."

He blew is whistle, and the pigeons flocked to the two superheroes. Ladybug spun her yoyo, and about a quarter of the pigeons startled at the light, sending all the birds near them into a frenzy as well. Only about half the pigeons actually made it to the superheroes, and once they did, none wanted to land. Still spinning her yoyo, Ladybug easily walked through the pigeons and up to Mr. Pigeon. Chat Noir followed behind her, holding a CD in his hand.

"What is happening?" Mr. Pigeon asked.

"You lost," Ladybug replied. "That's what happened." She reached out with her free hand to yank the bird whistle from Mr. Pigeon, but he swatted her hand away.

"Did you really think I would let you win so easily?" Mr. Pigeon asked.

"Easily?" Ladybug repeated, slightly insulted. Nothing about this was _easy_.

Ladybug made another grab for the whistle, and this time easily snatched it - just for a pigeon to swoop in and yank it from her hands.

Chat Noir, who was still at her back, reacted faster than she did, and soon one half of his baton was soaring at the pigeon. The pigeon dodged the stick, but the stick still managed to smack into the pigeons feet, and the whistle fell to the ground.

In an intense moment of deja vu, Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Mr. Pigeon all dived for the whistle. Mr. Pigeon grabbed the whistle from mid-air, landing face-first into the floor, and before Ladybug could smash the whistle like she did last time, he rolled away and stood up. Ladybug and Chat Noir both slammed into the ground, and one of the CDs on Ladybug's yoyo skidded off.

"Ow," Chat Noir moaned as he stood up. He helped Ladybug to her feet, and she couldn't help but notice how red his eyes were.

"You okay?" Ladybug asked.

Chat Noir nodded. "Just got a little - achoo! - little pepper in my eyes."

"Ready to give up yet?" Mr. Pigeon questioned.

"Not a chance," Ladybug responded.

Chat Noir just sneezed.

]"You're out of options, Ladybug," Mr. Pigeon cooed.

"Not quite."

Ladybug gave Chat Noir a look, and he nodded and started creeping towards the side. Ladybug took the other CD off of her yoyo.

"Attack!" Mr. Pigeon ordered. "Coo! Coo!"

Once again, the pigeons flocked around Ladybug, but none touched her. The spices were going to wear off eventually, but for now they seemed to be working.

"Hey pigeons!"

Chips started to rain down, distracting the birds and giving Ladybug a clear shot.

Mr. Pigeon sighed and turned towards where Chat Noir was standing next to the broken vending machine.

A clear shot and a distraction.

Ladybug tossed her yoyo and it circled around Mr. Pigeon's legs. She tugged his legs out from under him, and he flew down onto his face, the whistle flying out of his hands.

Chat Noir dove for the whistle and caught it, and a second later they were back in the hotel.

* * *

Alya could have sworn her favorite superheroes were now covered in spices, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why...

* * *

 **The credit for the bird-en pun goes to my cousin.**


	9. Chapter 9: Stormy Weather, Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own what I did not own in the last chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Stormy Weather, Part 1**

Marinette looked up at the balloon. _Oh. That's why Manon was frozen._

The thought barely had time to run through Marinette's head before Manon was pulling her towards the carousel.

"Not right now, Manon," Marinette said. "We should be getting back home."

She hadn't wanted to face Stormy Weather, but she had wanted to face the other akumas even less, so she didn't have much choice. Still, she was determined to protect Manon and Alya.

"No!" Manon pouted. "I want to ride the carousel!"

"Manon, seriously..." Marinette gritted her teeth, trying to find a way to get Manon to safety.

She could see Alya running towards her and Adrien watching in the distance. Stormy Weather would be here soon, and Marinette needed to get Manon away. But how?

"Listen to me, Manon," Marinette said, leaning down to be eye-to-eye with her. "And don't bother with your babydoll eyes. We need to go back home, and we need to do it now."

"Why?" Alya asked as she ran up with them.

"Because... I have stuff to do."

"And you can do it later," Alya replied. "Adrien needs a girl in his photoshoot! This is what you've been waiting for, girl."

"Yeah but..."

"No time for buts, girl. Go!"

"Alya..."

"Go on. I'll take care of Manon."

"But..." Marinette had a feeling their conversation might last all day if she didn't need to make an escape soon to track down Stormy Weather.

"Girl, you are not getting out of this!" Alya declared.

"It's just a bad day for it, Alya," Marinette half-argued as she caught sight of Stormy Weather on the horizon. "Look! I bet she's been akumatised! You should go after her! For your blog!" Alya looked behind her, eyes going wide as Stormy Weather flew towards them.

Stormy Weather snarled at the sight of Manon's balloon, and Marinette just had enough time to realize she was too late before Stormy Weather attacked.

A wall of ice formed around where Alya, Manon, and Marinette were standing, trapping Marinette with the other two girls.

 _Well, shoot._

* * *

Adrien watched Alya and Marinette argued about... something out of the corner of his eye, but since his photographer loudly announced her entrance, he still didn't miss Stormy Weather.

As Ladybug had warned him, Stormy Weather trapped Manon with her two babysitters as she zipped past. Adrien watched her continue on before running to Plagg to transform.

* * *

"Well, so much for that photoshoot," Marinette joked.

She was about five seconds away from kicking the ice in frustration, but didn't. Rule one of babysitting: stay calm and don't send the young child into anymore of a panic because you are also panicking and/or frustrated and/or scared.

Even if Marinette was frustrated for a completely different reason.

"Don't worry Manon," Marinette said. "We'll get out of here. In fact, I'd even say our biggest threat right now is boredom." Manon giggled, and Marinette couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Stormy Weather had been an earlier akuma, and he'd been super inexperienced, so even with The Unclocker's whole luck-is-not-on-your-side-this-time-spiel, Chat Noir figured he wouldn't be blown back as many times as the first time around.

Obviously, he was wrong.

The thing was, much like Mr. Pigeon, Stormy Weather was now fighting a lot smarter, and that balanced out Chat Noir's gained experienced. She also had a lot better aim with the ice, and even experience couldn't keep someone on slick ice from being blown away in high winds.

Chat Noir collided with a car, again, as Stormy Weather did her ice-under-the-feet-and-high-wind-thing, again. With a grown, Chat Noir pushed himself off his feet and readied himself for another round.

 _There has to be a better way to fight her_ , he thought as Stormy Weather approached again. But "better ways" to fight where usually Ladybug's ideas, and Ladybug was absent at the moment.

Stormy Weather shot another icy patch, and Chat Noir blocked it with his baton. The ice just froze the baton to the ground, and Chat Noir still found himself on ice. Stormy Weather shot anther blast of wind at him, and Chat Noir held onto his baton.

When the wind finally died, Chat Noir shrunk his baton out of the ice, split it, and tossed both halves at Stormy Weather at different angles. Stormy Weather deflected one half with wind, turned, and did the same with the second half, allowing Chat Noir to sneak up.

Chat Noir reached out and grabbed the wrist holding the umbrella, but was immediately shocked back by a nasty static electricity shot.

"Nice try," Stormy Weather growled. "But all you've managed to do is disarm yourself."

She pointed her umbrella at him, but it was close enough that Chat Noir could knock it away, and the building behind Stormy Weather was covered in ice instead.

Stormy Weather snarled gritted her teeth. Chat Noir used the distraction to dart towards one half of his baton. His hand curled around the baton just as the wind picked up again.

Chat Noir extended the baton and slammed in into the ground, but the wind blew him back before he could find a good grip. This time, Chat Noir slammed into the fence surrounding the park, leaving it slightly dented.

Gritting his teeth, Chat Noir pushed himself off the ground and readied his baton. His back was sore, and the gusts of wind had been blowing past blocks at a time. He would have major bruises by the time this fight was over.

"Chat Noir!"

Chat Noir turned to see Alya maniacally waving her arms at him from her ice prison, while Marinette had Manon cuddled to her chest. Above them, icicles grew threateningly.

"Over here!" Alya called.

Casting a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure Stormy Weather was still some distance off, Chat Noir leaped over the fenced and bounded over to ice prison. He remembered how worried Ladybug was, and he regretted ignoring it. He had been in the park right next to Alya and Manon, and even knowing what was going to happen he didn't do anything. And now they were stuck in a slowly shrinking prison, probably freezing cold.

It did occur to Chat Noir that Ladybug hadn't mentioned Marinette being trapped, but he put that down to her not remembering. After all, Chat Noir wasn't sure Ladybug had ever met Marinette, since the latter had never been akumatised, and she was bound to remember little Manon and Alya, who she had had many run-ins with.

"You guys okay?" Chat Noir asked.

Alya raised an eyebrow and pointed to the icicles. "Do we look okay?"

Chat Noir hesitated for a moment. No, they did not, but he wasn't supposed to use his cataclysm. Still, those icicles looked sharp, and that's what the ring was for in the first place, right? Protecting others?

"Stand back," Chat Noir replied. "And you might want to cover your heads."

Alya nodded and stepped into the middle of the prison, Marinette following suit with Manon in her arms. They both crouched down around the young girl and covered both their heads and her with her arms.

After the girls were all set, Chat Noir raised his fist.

"Cataclysm!"

* * *

 **To be continued... (dun dun DUUUUUUUUUUN)**


	10. Chapter 10: Stormy Weather, Part 2

**For some reason, Stormy Weather didn't have as many luck-not-on-your-side opportunities as Mr. Pigeon did, but I think the battle with her turned out okay.**

 **Disclaimer: It's not mine.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Stormy Weather, Part 2**

"Any ideas?" Chat Noir asked, landing lightly next to Ladybug.

Ladybug shook her head. "None so far. She's definitely a lot more dangerous this time around."

"I've noticed," Chat Noir replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ladybug grimaced. It wasn't exactly her fault she had been trapped with Alya and Manon, but she still felt bad for leaving Chat Noir on his own. Especially since Stormy Weather seemed a lot more, well, stormy.

She had still sent out her cryptic message from the TV studio, but instead of waiting for them in the building, the akuma victim was currently standing on top of the studio, a nasty tornado surrounding her. The storm only expanded a couple feet from the building, but it was still powerful enough to throw cars and whip around road signs.

Around the tornado, several people were crowded into the businesses out of the wind's range, seeking shelter from the winds and hail. As far as Ladybug could tell, they had evacuated in time and no one was injured, but they weren't completely out of danger of the stray projectiles.

Ladybug and Chat Noir were hidden behind a wall, just out of Stormy Weather's sight and the reach of her storm, trying to figure out how to sneak through. Between Ladybug needing to sneak away from Alya and Chat Noir needing to recharge, Stormy Weather had had about ten minutes to build up the storm, and now Ladybug had no clue what to do.

"If only there was a way underground," Ladybug muttered. "It's too bad the subway doesn't run through here. We might just have to run through the storm."

Chat Noir frowned. "In that?"

Ladybug grinned. "What, scared of a little wind?"

Truthfully, it wasn't a little wind and Ladybug was pretty scared herself, but she figured that a little teasing would lighten the mood.

Chat Noir grinned back. "Course not. Though I must say your definition of the word 'little' could use some work. If we stay low the wind won't be able to push us as much. Ladies first?"

Ladybug swung her yoyo in a circle, gathering momentum, before stepping into the storm. The wind almost instantly blew her yoyo into her face and she was forced back out of the twister.

"Well, that didn't work," Ladybug stated.

"Don't worry," Chat Noir replied, spinning his baton. "I've got you."

"Just be careful," Ladybug warned, before cautiously stepping into the storm again.

She stayed crouched against the ground, knowing that standing up would get her blown over. Even staying low, it was hard to keep from being blown over and Ladybug soon found herself using her arms to steady herself. The wind was trying enough to make breathing difficult, and she couldn't hear for the wind and couldn't see for her hair blowing in her face.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and she leaped back out of the storm. Lightning hit where she just was.

"Well that didn't work," Chat Noir commented as he helped Ladybug get out of Stormy Weather's view.

"There has to be some way to get through the storm," Ladybug muttered, looking around. The buildings around the storm were still standing, and the roofs were all about the same height...

"I have an idea," Ladybug said, grabbing Chat Noir's hand and pulling him to the other side of the storm.

Ladybug could hear Stormy Weather taunting them, and lightning striking around where she last saw the two superheroes, but Stormy Weather didn't turn around.

"If we get to the roof of this building," Ladybug explained. "You can use your baton to give us a lift, and we can drop down on Stormy Weather and grab her umbrella."

"Ready when you are," Chat Noir replied.

Ladybug threw her yoyo and wrapped it around a post on the roof, and with a yank was swinging up into the roof. Chat Noir followed her, and when they landed, he grabbed her and lifted them up into the sky on his baton.

They tipped over and fell through the storm, wind pushing them to the side. They landed behind and a little to the side of Stormy Weather.

"Give it up, Stormy Weather," Ladybug declared, spinning her yoyo.

"I'm not finished yet," Stormy Weather replied, blasting Ladybug and Chat Nor back a good couple yards.

Ladybug rolled back onto her feet and wrapped her yoyo around Stormy Weather's legs. With a tug, Stormy Weather fell backwards and Ladybug ran to grab her umbrella. Stormy Weather recovered quickly, and, before Ladybug had a chance to grab the akuma, she was pointing her umbrella at Ladybug. Chat Noir reacted faster than she did, since she was focused on the umbrella, and pushed her out of the way of a lightning bolt.

"We can't fight her out out here," Ladybug realized, rolling back into her feet. "We need to get her inside."

"How about we give her a taste of her own medicine," Chat Noir suggested.

Ladybug grinned. "Let's go."

The two superheroes darted for the door together, and Stormy Weather was forced to follow.

The power inside the building was already out, so Chat Noir lead Ladybug down the steps and through the hallway. Stormy Weather followed, but the two superheroes were much faster.

When they found the right room, Chat Noir and Ladybug pressed themselves up against the doorway, each on a different side of the door.

Seconds later, Stormy Weather barged in.

"Your time is-" Stormy Weather started before realizing she couldn't see the two superheroes.

Quicker than Stormy Weather could turn around, Ladybug reached out and grabbed the umbrella.

" _Your_ time is up, Stormy Weather," Ladybug declared as she broke the umbrella over her knee.

* * *

 **"Idiocy is trying the same thing and expecting different results" (or something along those lines) - Albert Einstein (I think)**


	11. Chapter 11: The Bubbler, Part 1

**Chapter 11: The Bubbler, Part 1**

The winds died away and Adrien found himself mid-swallow. He choked on what must have been his lunch as Plagg calmly flew out of his shirt.

"You know, choking on your food isn't generally advised," Plagg stated.

"Yeah, yeah," Adrien replied when he managed to swallow. "We don't have time for this. Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

"Marinette are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine," Marinette called down as she raced up to her room.

A sudden departure from lunch may not have been the best idea, but she didn't want to delay fighting the Bubbler. Besides, as much as she may want to stop it, her parents wouldn't be in the house for much longer.

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette said, her transformation washing over her.

Ladybug leapt off her ceiling just as the bubbles appeared, but she focused on her goal of reaching the Bubbler. Maybe, if she got there soon enough, she could stop him before he found the rest of her classmates.

She landed on the fence surrounding the Agreste mansion, scanning for the Bubbler. A second later, Chat Noir landed at her side.

"Plenty of bubbles," he said. "No Bubbler."

Ladybug nodded. "I'd hate to wait for him to kidnap those poor students, but it might be best to wait for him here, and surprise him. Besides, the Bubbler was one of the tamer akumas, as far as motivation went."

"But so was Mr. Pigeon," Chat Noir said.

Ladybug sighed. "True. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"Doesn't look like we'll have to wait very long," Chat Noir said, tensing up.

Ladybug followed his gaze to where the Bubbler had just landed on the roof of the mansion.

"I heard you were trying to crash my party," The Bubbler said.

"Not much of a party to crash," Chat Noir replied.

The Bubbler grimaced, and released his first string of bubbles. Ladybug and Chat Noir fanned the bubbles away with their weapons. The Bubbler snapped, and the bubbles regrouped and trapped the two superheroes into one bubble.

A second later, and they were flying up into the sky.

"To be fair, we probably should have seen that coming," Chat Noir said. He grabbed his baton and extended it, stretching the bubble, but the bubble didn't pop. "Any ideas?"

Ladybug shook her head. "These bubbles seem impossible to break."

"Then shall we do it like we did the first time?" Chat Noir asked, holding up his ring hand.

"Chat..."

"Don't worry. As long as I get a chance to recharge, I'll be fine. Cataclysm!"

The two superheroes fell as the bubble popped beneath them. Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around the closest thing - the Eiffel Tower - and swung down to a soft landing. Chat Noir landed next to her, having used his baton to slow his fall.

They quickly made their way back to the Agreste home, where the Bubbler was waiting for them.

"Sorry to burst your bubble," Chat Noir called. "But you're not getting rid of us that easily."

"Oh really?" The Bubbler asked. "Bet you didn't see this coming."

The Bubbler sent another string of bubbles at the superheroes. Ladybug fanned one half of the bubbles away with her yo-yo as Chat Noir fended off the other half, but it wasn't enough to keep the bubbles away. The Bubbler snapped, and once again the superheroes found themselves trapped in a bubble.

"Ummm," Chat Noir said. "This is going to be a problem."

Ladybug looked over her shoulder to Chat Noir's ring, where the pads were starting to disappear. "No kidding."

"Ideas?" There was definite panic in Chat Noir's voice.

"Well, um..." Ladybug began. "No."

Chat Noir's ring beeped again. "I'm running out of time."

Ladybug nodded. "I guess we're out of options. Lucky charm!"

A jug of water appeared under the top of the bubble, and Ladybug caught it. She and Chat Noir exchanged looks.

"It can't be that straight-forward, can it?" Ladybug asked.

Chat Noir glanced at his ring as it beeped again. "Let's hope it is."

Ladybug, with an embarrassing amount of struggle, opened the jug and began pouring water into the bubble. Slowly, the bubble began to loosen and sag. Ladybug tossed the empty jug to the side.

"Now try your baton."

Chat Noir nodded and extended his baton against the bubble's surface, and the bubble popped.

"Split!" Ladybug yelled as the two superheroes dove for the surface.

Chat Noir used his baton to guide himself to the other side of the Agreste mansion, and Ladybug swung herself to a secluded spot on the Eiffel Tower.

Double checking for anyone nearby, she detransformed on one of the support beams. The height immediately made Marinette anxious as the transformation faded away, but she forced herself to stay calm as she reached for a cookie in her purse. She came up with nothing.

"Oh, I forgot!" Marinette moaned. "I didn't carry snacks back then... now? Sorry Tikki."

"It's fine, Marinette," Tikki replied. "I think I see a vendor down there. I'll see if I can get a cookie from him."

Marinette nodded and pulled some cash out of her purse. "This should be enough. Don't let him see you."

Tikki nodded. "I'll be right back. Don't fall off!"

* * *

Adrien paced the downstairs closet, frustrated.

Sure, it was his house. He didn't really need to hide. But then, if The Bubbler came looking for him...

The closet was fairly spacious anyways, even with Plagg obnoxiously chewing in his ear.

"There has to be a way to pop the bubbles," Adrien muttered. "But how?"

"How about not getting stuck in the bubbles in the first place?" Place suggested, swallowing his last bite of cheese.

Adrien sighed. "It's not like we're trying to get stuck. We just can't always fend off the bubbles."

"Well you can't just keep getting stuck in bubble after bubble," Plagg argued. "Unless, of course, you want to be in the sky with all the other adults."

"Are you done yet?" Adrien asked.

"Unless you have more," Plagg answered.

"Nope. Claws out!

* * *

 **Disclaimer: not mine, not mine, not mine**


	12. Chapter 12: The Bubbler, Part 2

**Disclaimer: I still don't _Miraculous Ladybug,_ shown by the fact that I don't have season 2 yet.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: The Bubbler, Part 2**

"You know, if it's our miraculous he's after, he can't just leave us in the bubble," Ladybug pointed out.

"So are you suggesting we just wait it out this time?" Chat Noir replied.

Ladybug nodded and leaned her head again the bubble. She was tired, and her head had started to pound from the fatigue. A moment's breather was fine by her.

Chat Noir squirmed. "I don't know - it might not be a good to let have us trapped here. Who knows what he - or Hawkmoth - might be planning?"

Ladybug nodded. "But it's better than just constantly popping bubbles."

"Maybe," Chat Noir relented. "Besides, I could use a cat nap."

Ladybug breathed in through her nose, out through her mouth, and let herself relax. For the first time, she could feel her body talk to her - she was thirsty, hungry, exhausted, dizzy, and a thousand other things she needed to take care of the next time she wasn't in the bubble.

"How are we supposed to defeat The Unclocker?" Chat Noir asked. "If each akuma wipes us out this much?"

"I don't know," Ladybug replied. "But we'll find a way. We always do. Together."

"Together," Chat Noir repeated.

* * *

The Hawkmoth of that time, the one who had only begun fighting the two superheroes, was growing annoyed.

He saw the brilliance of the Bubbler's idea - make them use their powers, get them to detransform, and don't let them escape this time - but neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir seemed compelled to change their situation.

"This isn't working," Hawkmoth growled. "They're just sitting there!"

"Patience, dude," The Bubbler replied. "Besides, there's always my first plan."

"Then do that plan!"

* * *

Chat Noir startled. "We're going down."

"Five more minutes," Ladybug complained.

Chat Noir gently shoved Ladybug's leg. "We don't have five more minutes."

Ladybug groaned and forced herself to sit up. Below, the ground was slowly rising to meet them. The bubble landed right in the middle of the Agreste's yard, where The Bubbler was waiting for them.

"You know, this bubble is actually really comfortable," Chat Noir said. "I don't know what everyone is complaining about."

"Dude, you're in a bubble," The Bubbler replied. "Would you do me the favor and starting acting like it?"

Chat Noir shrugged. "What would you like me to do? Beg to be let out?"

"Something like that," The Bubbler answered. "Perhaps, if I gave you some incentive..."

The bubble rose for the fourth time, and Ladybug watched the ground drop out from beneath them.

"What's he planning now?" Ladybug asked. "No - ah!"

The bubble jerked to the side, and soon the two superheroes were rushing towards the Eiffel Tower.

"We're gonna crash!" Chat Noir yelled. He tried to put a protective arm around Ladybug, but she just shoved it away.

They both let out yelps as the bubble crashed into one of the support beams. Ladybug got the beam right in the stomach, and winding her completely. Chat Noir faceplanted and fell the beam below.

Ladybug dropped down to Chat Noir, who now had a bloody nose.

"Ow," he complained.

"Tell me about it," Ladybug replied.

The Bubbler appeared on the horizon, riding a bubble like a pigeon. Ladybug and Chat Noir both took defensive stances.

"Give it up already," The Bubbler said. "Before I have to beat the two of you up even more."

"Go ahead and try," Ladybug snarled.

The Bubbler sighed. "Have it your way."

As the bubbles shot out this time, Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around the beam underneath them, grabbed Chat Noir, and dove down.

Chat Noir grinned. "Thinking of playing a little-"

"If you say cat and mouse, I will drop you."

The two superheroes landed on a lower support beam just as the bubbles caught up with them. Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around another, higher support beam, and the two superheroes zoomed up.

"Maybe we can get the bubbles to engulf him," Ladybug suggested. "But then again, that won't help us get to the wand."

The two superheroes made it to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

"Water works against them," Ladybug said.

"Perhaps it's time to do some road work," Chat Noir added.

He used his baton to lower the two superheroes down to the street. The bubbles followed.

"Chat, if you-"

Chat Noir nodded. "I know, but we need to end this fight. Cataclysm!"

The pipes under the road burst, and a wall of high-pressured water appeared. The bubbles survived the blast, but were easily popped with a touch from the yo-yo. Ladybug and Chat Noir were able to hold their position until The Bubbler remembered he could attack them from behind.

"Through the water!" Ladybug yelled, grabbing Chat Noir and yanking him through the water.

But on the other side were more bubbles. Chat Noir's ring beeped.

"If I get trapped now-"

"I know," Ladybug replied. "I won't let that happen. Lucky charm!"

Something long fell into Ladybug's hands, but before she had a chance to see what is was, she had to whack a bubble with it.

"It's an umbrella," Chat Noir stated. "What are you- you know what? I'm tired of asking that. Do your thing."

Ladybug nodded and looked around. What _was_ she supposed to do with an umbrella?

"Chat," she called, yanking him and pushing him into the water. She put the umbrella upside down and pointed it at one of the burst pipes. She opened it, and water went everywhere. By angling the umbrella, Ladybug managed to aim a burst at the bubble The Bubbler was riding, sending him down the the earth.

Chat Noir used the distraction to extend his baton right through the hole on the bubble wand, and then tilted the baton up. The wand slid down right into his hands.

"I think it's about time we ended this," he muttered, breaking the baton over his knee. The winds picked up, but Ladybug could still hear her earrings beep.

"Oh, look at that," The Unclocker called as she came into view. "Running out of time, are we?"

"Timebreaker!" Ladybug blurted. "We'll face Timebreaker!"

Chat Noir's ring beeped.

The Unclocker tilted her head. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Ladybug barked. "And we'll face her now!"

"Or we'll leave," Chat Noir threatened, voice tight.

Hawkmoth's mask appeared over The Unclocker's face, and she hesitated.

"I should make you wait," The Unclocker mused. "But then again, I don't want you running away when I've got you in such a tight spot. So what should I do?"

"Send us now or the deal is off," Ladybug said, preparing herself to stand between The Unclocker and Chat Noir if she needed too.

But then the winds picked up.

* * *

 **Note: I want to have this story published before the official release of the English version of season 2, but considering how many chapters this story will probably end up having, that's not likely. So I thought I'd say that none of the villains in season 2 will be featured.**


	13. Chapter 13: Timebreaker

**I use Timebreaker, having watched this on Netflix, but I also like the name Timebreaker a lot better than Chronogirl, since Timebreaker is a play on Timekeeper.**

 **Disclaimer: see chapter 1**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Timebreaker**

Adrien didn't think he had ever been so close.

If The Unclocker had even waited a millisecond longer, Adrien knew his secret identity would have been toast. He was lucky - insanely lucky - that The Unclocker has bought his bluff.

"Why is your nose bleeding?"

Chloe's voice was a knife through Adrien's relief.

"Huh?" Adrien said intelligently.

Chloé pointed to Adrien's nose. "Your nose. It's bleeding."

Adrien pretended to be surprised - like it was a natural nosebleed, and not one caused by him face planting into the Eiffel Tower.

"You're also looking a little red," Alya noted. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," Adrien replied. "Probably just allergies. I'm gonna go clean this up."

"Good," Chloé agreed.

Adrien walked out of the park, covering his nose with his hand. Just as he was ducking behind a wall, he heard a scream.

"Alix's been Akumatized!" Alya yelled. "And she's got Marinette!"

"Run!" Max called.

"Away," Nino added, and Adrien could picture him pulling Alya out of the way.

"Time to transform," Adrien said.

Plagg flew out of his shirt, finishing off a piece of cheese. "Do we have to?"

"Yes. Claws out!"

The transformation didn't feel as good as usual as it flowed over Adrien. Usually, it gave him a burst of energy, but that time it would seem that all the bursts of energy were gone.

Chat Noir took a deep breath and leaned against the wall for a moment after transforming. He was a lot dizzier than he cared to admit.

Chat Noir counted five before forcing himself to stand straight and face Timebreaker, who was taunting Rose down from her position in one of the trees.

"Alix!" Chat Noir called, landing behind the skater. "Bet you can't catch me!"

"Challenge accepted," Timebreaker replied with a grin.

Chat Noir extended his baton and went sky high, but Timebreaker smashed into his baton and knocked him back to Earth.

He rolled, recovering quickly, and ducked as Timebreaker swiped at him.

He ran a lap, Timebreaker following him, before he did the baton trick. This time, he landed off the path.

Timebreaker followed without hesitation, and ended up face-down in the dirt for it.

"Can't skate in the dirt, huh?" Chat Noir teased. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, an idea began to form.

"Fine with me, there's plenty of others to catch," Timebreaker replied.

"But you're not one to turn down a challenge, are you?" Chat Noir questioned.

Timebreaker huffed and walked across the grass awkwardly. Chat Noir slowly backed up, letting Timebreaker stumble and fall as she tried to reach him.

And then Chat Noir backed up into a wall, which was admittedly not part of his plan.

He extended his baton and went over Timebreaker, to her great annoyance, but the move put him back on smooth ground.

"Now its a fair playing field," Timebreaker snarled.

"I think I preferred it the other way," Chat Noir said, dodging a swipe by Timebreaker. He stabbed at her skates, causing her to stumble, but he didn't hit the akuma.

Timebreaker grabbed his baton and yanked him closer. She moved to touch him, but Chat Noir rolled out of the way at the last second.

Hawkmoth's mask appeared over Timebreaker's helmet, and she grinned.

"Tell me, Chat Noir, where is Ladybug?" Timebreaker asked.

"Honestly, no idea," Chat Noir replied. "But don't worry, I'm perfectly capable of handling myself."

"But one-on-one is a little boring, don't you think?"

Chat Noir blinked, trying to figure out what that meant.

Timebreaker sped off, and Chat Noir chased after. She was just at top speed when Chat Noir extended his baton and sent her flying.

Just as her time-travel powers kicked in.

Timebreaker flew over the edge and right into the middle of the group of scattering students. Another Timebreaker was off on the side, just transformed.

"Marinette," Chat Noir muttered, remembering how his classmate was frozen early last time.

He used his baton to lend next to the girl, who startled when she saw him. He had just enough time to push Marinette out of the way before Timebreaker reached them.

But it wasn't enough to get himself away too.

A tap on the back, and suddenly Adrien was standing in the middle of a group of panicked students.

Timebreaker landed face-down in front of them, and Adrien suddenly realized that he must be in the second timeline now.

As if it wasn't confusing enough.

* * *

"Chat!" Marinette cried. "What did you do to him?"

"I sucked up all his energy," Timebreaker replied. "And he has a lot of it too. Now, for his miraculous."

Marinette looked around for something, anything, that would help her. Maybe if she threw a shoe?

"I'm not out of time yet, Timebreaker." Chat Noir landed behind himself, baton fully extended.

Both Ladybug and Timebreaker did a double take.

"What the-" Timebreaker started, but her gaze drifted as another version of her rolled up to the party.

"Ooh, a miraculous for the taking," she cooed. "Thank you so much."

"I must have bumped my head," Marinette muttered. "Because I'm pretty sure I'm seeing double."

"You'll find taking that miraculous is going to be harder than that," Chat Noir said.

"Except both of us are still in the game," Timebreaker 1 said.

"And there's only one of you," Timebreaker 2 finished.

"Finally, the odds are even," Chat Noir replied.

As the superhero and the two akuma victims bantered, Marinette slowly backed away.

"We must already be in the second timeline," Marinette muttered to Tikki. "I have a faint recollection of being frozen, but it happened so fast-"

"You must have been hit almost immediately," Tikki agreed. "Thankfully, Chat Noir saves you this time."

"And it might have cost him his life," Marinette muttered. "Why would be go out if his way to save _me_?"

"Chat Noir has met you before, Marinette," Tikki replied. "Besides, he's always been the type to throw himself in front of anybody - not just Ladybug."

Marinette nodded. "True. And now it's my turn to help him. Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Okay, seeing himself frozen like that was weird, but Chat Noir knew he couldn't afford to worry about that.

If either Timebreaker managed to grab his miraculous, then Hawkmoth would have a miraculous, whether or not Chat Noir still had his. And, of course, the frozen him might detransform if the ring was taken.

Chat Noir was glad he had a plan.

Chat Noir extended his baton into the space between the roller blades and the skates and lifted Timebreaker 1 up into the air, but Timebreaker 2 reacted so fast he had to drop 1 almost immediately.

"Having problems keeping up?" Timebreaker 2 asked.

Chat Noir focused on 2, but then his eyes noticed a red figure right above her. Ladybug had finally arrived.

"Actually, I was just wasting your time," he admitted. "Cataclysm!"

He slammed his hand into the pavement, and the pavement deteriorated into crumbles - hopefully rendering the skates useless.

"Clever," Ladybug admitted, swinging down next to him.

"I thought so," Chat Noir replied. "Now, would you mind taking care of these to for a little bit?"

"Gladly."

* * *

 **Hopefully, this will be the last time I have to figure out how to distinguish between two different versions of the same person...**


	14. Chapter 14: Evillustrator, Part 1

**Our heroes get a much needed break...**

 **Disclaimer: All lefts, rights, and middles to their respective owners.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Evillustrator, Part 1**

The cataclysm was maybe the most useful thing Chat Noir had ever done - and honestly, that was saying something.

The battle was practically over then, except for the mutual understanding that they both needed to be transformed, the fact that Chat Noir needed to recharge, and the hour search it apparently took him to find something for his kwami to eat. Neither Timebreaker was willing to talk, so Ladybug just kept them under guard.

An hour later, and they were again in the hotel debating their next opponent.

"Just trust me on this, Chat," Ladybug said. "I can distract him for a while - and we'll both be able to grab a breather."

Chat Noir sighed but nodded. "As long as you're sure..."

Ladybug turned to The Unclocker. "We'll face Evillustrator next."

"Very well."

* * *

Adrien was surprised by how long it took Evillustrator to attack.

It was long enough to be forced to pretend that he was actually helping Alya and Nino on a project he completed long ago. After bluffing his way through the project, he made up some excuse to go the library.

"I just really think this book will be a great help," Adrien lied.

"Sounds cool," Nino replied. "While you're gone, me and Alya will start on-"

Adrien was already on his way through the school and to the locker rooms, which were empty. He grabbed a piece of cheese from his locker to bribe Plagg out of his nap.

"Cheese," Plagg groaned. "And it's not even that fake stuff you found me last time."

"It took me an hour to find that stuff!" Adrien protested. "And you're not getting this cheese - not yet. We promised Ladybug we'd watch over Chloé."

That was the plan - Ladybug would somehow distract Evillustrator while Chat Noir lounged around Chloe's room in case the distraction didn't work.

It wasn't going to be the best break, but Chat Noir was just glad he would have a chance to catch his breath.

Ladybug supposedly would also get a chance to relax during her distraction, but Chat Noir didn't see how that was going to work.

"Oh, great," Plagg mumbled. "That's always an easy job."

"Drop the sarcasm," Adrien muttered. "It's time to transform. Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

Marinette's plan had not been to _fall_ on Evillustrator.

She had decided that Evillustrator could be convinced to stay peaceful for a while, especially by her civilian self, as long as he could placate Hawkmoth. The plan had been to talk him down from attacking Chloe, even maybe have him show her some of his drawings.

But even with the easy (for her) defeat of Timebreaker, Marinette was exhausted. So she just kind of stumbled into Evillustrator instead.

"Marinette?"

"Sorry - I'm just so exhausted," Marinette replied, forcing herself up.

"No, no, no," Evillustrator said. "Sit down, you're looking a little pale."

"My hair!" Chloé cried out from somewhere in the library.

Evillustrator helped Marinette sit down and drew her a glass of water. While Marinette took small, unbelievably amazing sips of the water, she watched Evillustrator talk to what must have been Hawkmoth.

"Agreed," he said before turning back to Marinette. "You look like you need a break."

"You have no idea how much I need a break," Marinette muttered. "My head is killing me."

"Stress? Or is Chloé getting on your nerves?"

"I've just been running into a lot of things lately," Marinette replied. "I think I'm covered in bruises."

Evillustrator sat down next to her a little awkwardly. He had been akumatised to chase down Chloé, after all, not help his crush. Marinette couldn't help but feel a little anxiety at the irony of the situation.

"I liked your drawings," Marinette said. "The idea of your powers was originally yours, right?"

Evillustrator nodded. "Hawkmoth just gave them to me."

"Honestly, I'm surprised," Marinette admitted. "You're such a kind soul, Nathaniel. Not who I would pick to carry out my evil plans."

"Even I have my tipping point," Evillustrator replied. "Everyone does."

"That's what scares me," Marinette muttered.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Evillustrator said. "Only Chloé - and Ladybug and Chat Noir, of course."

Again, the irony. It was a good reminder of why the two superheroes needed their secret identities.

"But don't you need to do something to get the attention of Ladybug and Chat Noir?" Marinette asked.

"I have a feeling Chloe's already brought this to their attention," Evillustrator replied. "Don't worry, I don't have to rush. This deal goes both ways."

"Hawkmoth never struck me as one for patience," Marinette commented.

"He's not," Evillustrator replied. "Trust me."

Marinette leaned in. She couldn't help but be a little interested. The chance to talk about Hawkmoth with an Akuma victim? It definitely wasn't something she was about to give up.

* * *

Chat Noir closed his eyes and shut out Chloe's talking.

He wasn't about to do her homework, or any of the other ridiculous things she was requesting. He was a superhero, and a very, very tired one at that.

Still, he couldn't help but cooperate when she wanted a picture.

Chat Noir sighed and leaned back into the couch. He definitely needed this break - he was sore in multiple places, and the hour searching for cheese hadn't been as helpful as he'd hope.

Still, he wasn't as relaxed as he could be. He had been in the library long enough to see Marinette and Evillustrator together. Last time, he had been there during their little date, but now he was babysitting Chloé. And with no word from Ladybug, Chat Noir just had to trust that she was handling the situation.

It wasn't like Ladybug to put civilians at risk like that, though, and Chat Noir couldn't help but be surprised that she was allowing it. And, he of course couldn't help being a little worried for Marinette.

* * *

An hour.

He sat there talking to her for an hour. Hawkmoth has never been so annoyed, but for some reason he had a hard time convincing the boy to leave his crush, especially since she was obviously in need of help.

An hour later, though, Hawkmoth managed to convince - well, threaten - the Evillustrator into cooperating.

"We made a deal," Hawkmoth said. "I've upheld my end. Now, you must uphold yours."

* * *

 **Duh duh duhhhhhhhhh**


	15. Chapter 15: Evillustrator, Part 2

**A lot of Chat Noir in this chapter, but there will be plenty of Ladybug in the next.**

 **Disclaimer: (put previous disclaimer here).**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Evillustrator, Part 2**

Chat Noir jumped when his baton rang.

"My lady?" He answered.

Ladybug's face appeared. Chat Noir could tell by the background that she was leaping over the rooftops, heading towards the hotel.

"Evillustrator is on the move, heading your way," Ladybug said.

"Is Marinette - the girl he was with - okay?" Chat Noir asked.

Ladybug nodded. "Don't worry. She, er, she wasn't with him that long. I made sure of that." She didn't sound that sure, but Chat Noir didn't have time to think about it.

"Is that Ladybug?" Chloé asked, leaning over the back of the couch and waving enthusiastically at the screen.

"Hi Chloe." Ladybug's greeting sounded almost like a sigh. "Listen, you need to go hide somewhere, so me and Chat Noir can handle this."

"Handle Nathaniel? Hardly a struggle."

"Still, it's better if you stay safe," Ladybug replied. "We don't want anything to happen to you. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Chloe nodded. "Anything for you, Ladybug. I'll be in my closet."

"I'll do my best with the lighting," Chat Noir added. "See you soon."

* * *

Ladybug landed in the dark hotel room only seconds after Evillustrator. He and Chat Noir were already facing off, with Evillustrator standing between the two superheroes.

"It's over," she declared, throwing her yo-yo at him. He easily dodged, and a second later an almost-perfect ball of light appeared in the room.

Ladybug scowled. That would make things a lot more difficult.

Evillustrator scribbled something on his pad, and a giant fan appeared between Ladybug and Chat Noir, facing Ladybug. It switched on, and Ladybug was swept off her feet and pushed back threw the window. She threw her yo-yo and wrapped it around something in the hotel room, but couldn't pull herself in until Chat Noir stopped the fan with his baton.

Evillustrator drew a wall in front of the hotel room, and Ladybug face-planted. The wall cut her yo-yo string, _which shouldn't be possible,_ andLadybug had nothing to hold onto, and could only try to land as elegantly on the pavement below.

She landed, and something went snap. Pain shot up her right leg, where most of her weight went when she landed.

"No no no no no no," Ladybug muttered. She couldn't afford a broken ankle.

* * *

Chat Noir dodged another feather duster as he ran out into the hallway, but he still sneezed. Apparently, this time around, Hawkmoth had remembered his lovely allergy to feathers. So now, he was being attacked by feathers. Again.

Chat Noir slammed open the door to a (thankfully) empty hotel room, with Evillustrator casually strolling behind him. The world seemed to tilt, and Chat Noir was sent sliding into the wall.

Recovering quickly, Chat Noir sent one-half of his baton flying towards Evillustrator, but it was erased midair.

"Hey," Chat Noir argued. "That's just not fair."

Evillustrator said nothing, and just scribbled again. The floor disappeared under Chat Noir, and he fell down to the next floor.

The landing hurt, but he had no time to moan about it, because a thousand bricks began falling down. Chat Noir used his baton as a shield, sending the bricks flying around the hotel room.

Evillustrator peered down into his hole, and Chat Noir extended his baton and hit him right in the chin. Rising up into the higher hotel room, Chat Noir wasted no time before attempting a swipe at Evillustrator's pad, but even with the momentary distraction Evillustrator still dodged.

Chat Noir tried to step closer, but something pulled on his leg. He looked down to see his foot trapped in some kind of chain.

After the Bubbler, Chat Noir knew he would just get stuck again if he used the cataclysm, so he forced himself not to use it.

Evillustrator grinned. "Your miraculous?"

"Never," Chat Noir growled. Evillustrator scribbled, and a spike fell from above. Chat Noir could barely dodge the spike, as restricted as he was by the chains. Another, and Chat Noir backed up into the first spike. He was trapped, and with nowhere to go, a third spike fell from the sky.

And froze inches from his face.

"Now, will you hand over the miraculous?"

Chat Noir's heart hammered. That spike looked sharp. But he still shook his head.

No.

Evillustrator's face wavered for a moment, and Chat Noir realized he probably didn't want to send that spike down, but Hawkmoth's mask appeared and the wavering disappeared.

"Last chance," Evillustrator said.

"No," Chat Noir replied.

"So be it." Evillustrator reaches for his pad, hand shaking.

Chat Noir closed his eyes and hoped for a miracle.

But luck wasn't on their side, so he would have to create his own miracle.

"Wait," Chat Noir said. He pretended to scratch his ankle.

Evillustrator paused. "Changed your mind?"

"No, just wanted to say one last word," Chat Noir replied. "Cataclysm!"

The cataclysm spread down through the chain and the floor gave out. Evillustrator yelped as he found himself falling. Chat Noir tossed his baton as his fell, knocking Evillustrator's drawing hand away. Unfortunately, he held onto the pen, but hopefully his hand was a little bruised and a little slower now.

Chat Noir landed roughly but uninjured. He stood up and was moving before Evillustrator got a chance to draw anything, and reached to grab his baton. But by that time, Evillustrator was up, and when Chat Noir's hand brushed the ground a chain appeared around it.

His forward momentum caused his body to tug against the chain, and Chat Noir felt his wrist snap in the motion.

Using his other hand to catch him, he managed to lower himself back to the position where he was caught.

"Ow," he muttered.

"Nice try," Evillustrator said. "But not good enough."

He stepped closer to Chat Noir, but Chat Noir kicked his ankle and sent him back a few steps.

"I can still fight," Chat Noir

said. A chain wrapped around his legs a second later. "Can you still fight now?" Evillustrator asked.

Chat Noir just growled.

His ring beeped, reminding him of how helpless he was now.

His only chance was with Ladybug.

* * *

 **Man, are cliffhangers fun to write...**


	16. Chapter 16: Evillustrator, Part 3

**It bugs me for some reason that this fits into 3 parts instead of 4 but it just worked out that way.**

 **Disclaimer: I own lefts, not rights.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Evillustrator, Part 3**

The elevator was way too slow for Ladybug's patience, but without her yoyo, it was the only way up to the top floor, and eventually she did get there. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she darted into Chloe's room, just to find it empty.

"Where'd they go?" She asked. No response from the empty room.

She grabbed her yo-yo from the bedpost and looked down the hall, searching for any sign. Eventually, she spotted a couple of feather dusters, leading down to a room with the door wide open and the floor gone.

"That must have been where they went," she muttered, walking to the edge of the hole.

Beneath her, Chat Noir was in chains, and Evillustrator was reaching for his ring.

"Not on my watch," Ladybug said, throwing her yo-yo and wrapping it around Evillustrator's torso. He looked up, surprised, and couldn't react before Ladybug yanked him up.

Evillustrator fell into the hallway, and Ladybug reached for the pen.

Panicked, Evillustrator scribbled something.

Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around his arm and pulled, but his drawing was finished and a pile of stuffed black cats fell onto her.

Pushing herself out of the pile of cats, she saw that Evillustrator was searching the pile. He must have lost his pen when she yanked his arm.

Deciding she might actually have the advantage, Ladybug used her yo-yo to cut through the pile and slam into anything onto the floor. The first couple tries and she managed to break a feather duster.

Evillustrator was getting more and more panicked. Letting some of the cats fall down to where Chat Noir was, Ladybug continued the search, confident that the battle was over.

And then Evillustrator found his pen.

Ladybug threw her yo-yo almost immediately, but Evillustrator had enough time to draw something and the hallway tilted forward. With the help of her forward momentum from her throw, Ladybug was tossed forward and slammed into the doors of the elevator at the end of the hall.

"How did you do that?" Ladybug asked, standing up.

"Just added a little something to the floor to make it lift up," Evillustrator explained. He erased the elevator doors Ladybug was leaning on, sending her into the elevator. The doors appeared, trapping her.

"Huh?" Ladybug asked, but her confusion was answered when the elevator began to fall. She used her yo-yo to whack open the panel on the ceiling and then to wrap around something on the walls.

The elevator continued to fall, leaving Ladybug hanging. She swung herself over to the ladder and began to climb, before realizing Evillustrator had probably gone down to the first floor to meet her.

And then down she went, ignoring the pain in her ankle with every step.

She landed on top of the elevator just in time to see Evillustrator's red head appeared below her.

"Hey Nathaniel!" Ladybug called. Evillustrator looked up, shocked.

Ladybug jumped down right in front of him, elbowing the pad he was drawing on just as he finished something. The pad fell to the ground, broken.

"Game's over," she said.

"Not until you get my pen," Evillustrator replied. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

It was at that moment that Ladybug realized her yo-yo had been erased.

Ladybug dove for Evillustrator, hand out for the pen, and they both fell to the ground. The pen fell out of his hand and rolled off into the lobby.

Ladybug crawled over Evillustrator to get it, but Evillustrator grabbed her bad ankle and pulled her back.

With a yelp, she fell back to the ground.

Evillustrator crawled out and ran to grab it, but Ladybug was up moments later and chased after him. She grabbed one of the flower pots in the lobby and chucked it at him. He fell, but he was close enough that he could reach the fist closed around it just as Ladybug reached him.

Ladybug fell to her knees and grabbed Evillustrator's fist. With one hand, she held his hand still, and with the other she grabbed onto where the pen was sticking out and tried to break it.

Evillustrator head butted her in the stomach, and Ladybug fell backwards.

Evillustrator reached for her earrings, but Ladybug kicked him in the stomach, and he stumbled backwards.

Ladybug stood up, her ankle yelling at her as she did, and the two faced off.

"We seem to be at an impasse," Evillustrator said. "I can't draw, and you can't summon your lucky charm."

"You're not a fighter, Nathaniel," Ladybug replied. "You're an artist. This isn't you."

"And the boy hanging out in the back of the classroom is?" Evillustrator questioned. "The one who is never talked to, always mocked? The one who could only dream of what I'm doing now?"

With those words, Evillustrator dove at Ladybug, but she knocked him in the chin and he stumbled backwards.

"How about the boy who'd never hurt a fly?" Ladybug asked. "Or the boy who drew amazing pieces of art - not just weapons. Isn't that better than this?"

"I don't want to hurt you," Evillustrator admitted. "But I can't lose these powers. I'm somebody now - and I'm not going to give that up."

Evillustrator moved again, and Ladybug punched him on the cheek. This time, it was enough for the pen to roll out of his hand.

"I don't want to hurt you either, Nathaniel," Ladybug replied. "But your powers cost too much."

"No," Evillustrator whispered. Ladybug ignored him, and stomped on the pen.

The pain of flare from it shot up her leg as the winds picked up. She and Chat Noir appeared in the hotel again, and they both immediately collapsed on each other.

"That was too close," Chat Noir whispered.

"Way too close," Ladybug agreed.

* * *

 **Still plenty more akumas to go!**


	17. Chapter 17: Lady Wifi, Part 1

**Do you ever have a moment when you're writing and you just have to stop and ask yourself what on Earth you were writing? Yeah, I had a lot of those moments in these next few chapters.**

 **Disclaimer: I still don't own _Miraculous Ladybug._**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Lady Wifi, Part 1**

One broken wrist and one broken ankle.

The two superheroes were on the roof across from the hotel, waiting patiently for Lady WiFi to make her appearance and attending to the wounds from Evillustrator.

Ladybug could tell her partner was starting to get scared. She was, too - their most recent injuries didn't bode well, and they weren't even halfway through yet.

Chat Noir straightened up. "Looks like Lady WiFi is here."

Ladybug stood up, keeping her weight on her good ankle. The stint helped, but it wasn't her miraculous cure by any means.

Together, the two superheroes swung into Chloe's hotel room.

"Games over Lady WiFi!" Ladybug called.

Lady WiFi turned and gaped at Ladybug. Her eyes flickered between the actual superhero and Chloe, who was on the ground and tangled in her toy yo-yo.

"Ladybug!" Chloe whined. "Help me!"

"This is a surprise," Lady WiFi admitted. "So if it's not Chloe under the mask, then who is it?"

"Good luck trying to find out!" Ladybug replied.

Lady WiFi shot a pause button at the two superheroes, and they both dodged. Ladybug was forced to keep moving as Lady WiFi continued shooting pause buttons.

Chat Noir threw his baton, and Lady WiFi was forced to cut off her assault. She paused the baton mid-air, giving Ladybug enough chance to wrap her yo-yo around Lady WiFi's legs.

Lady WiFi flung a few wild pause buttons at Ladybug as she struggled. Ladybug dodged the pauses as she did her best to keep Lady WiFi still.

"Chat, her phone!" Ladybug called.

"On it!" Chat Noir left his baton where it was still frozen mid-air to help Ladybug with her attack.

Lady WiFi was still struggling, and Ladybug was just doing her best to hold on to her yo-yo without being frozen. Chat Noir came from behind Lady WiFi and reached for her phone.

"No!" Lady WiFi hit a button on her phone, flickered, and vanished.

Ladybug retracted her yo-yo. "She must have gone through Chloe's phone. She could be anywhere in the hotel!" She stamped her foot. "Ugh, I had her, if I could have just-"

"You're just tired," Chat Noir replied. "At least you still have your yo-yo."

"At least," Ladybug agreed. "Where do you think she went?"

"I don't know," Chat Noir answered. "But I have a feeling we're going to find out soon."

Ladybug nodded. "Chloe, may I borrow your phone?"

"Of course, Ladybug," Chloé replied. "Anything for you. I am your biggest fan after all."

Ladybug grabbed Chloe's phone off the ground to check for signs of Lady WiFi.

It didn't take long.

"Huh," Ladybug muttered. "She's at the TV station."

"Last time she didn't leave the hotel," Chat Noir remembered.

Ladybug nodded. "We have no way of knowing what she's up to. We'll have to be extra careful."

"Plus it's almost definitely a trap," Chat Noir added. "Though, to be fair, it's almost always a trap. I'm ready when you are."

* * *

Ladybug and Chat Noir landed on top of the TV station, making Ladybug's ankle throb just as an image of Lady WiFi flickered away.

"Looks like she's playing that game again," Chat Noir noted.

Ladybug nodded and smashed the phone Lady WiFi had left on the roof. "She probably has all the doors but one locked like last time too."

Together, the two superheroes burst down the stairs, instantly noticing that Ladybug's prediction was right.

"Why would she even be at the TV station?" Chat Noir asked as they ran down the stairs. "She can broadcast on her own."

"Maybe she felt it was a good place to lay a trap," Ladybug suggested as they found the unlocked door. "Here's where she must be. Prepare for an ambush."

The two superheroes readied themselves, and barged into the room in unison.

Except it wasn't a room, but a long hallway with three doors on each wall.

"Must be the dressing rooms," Chat Noir suggested.

Ladybug nodded. "None of the doors are locked. Which one do you think she's in?"

"I guess we just choose one," Chat Noir replied. "After you, my lady."

Ladybug walked up to the first door and opened it. Chat Noir walked in behind her, his makeshift baton at the ready.

An image flickered on the vanity, and Lady WiFi appeared.

"Wrong choice," she said, throwing a lock button at the door. "Now you're stuck in here with me."

"Or you're stuck in here with us," Chat Noir countered.

"You and your broom handle?" Lady WiFi countered.

Lady WiFi swiped her phone, throwing a pause button at Chat Noir, who dodged easily.

Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Lady WiFi's phone wrist and pulled. Lady WiFi lurched forward, but managed to toss a pause button off, hitting Ladybug in the shoulder.

"Ladybug!" Chat Noir called, tossing his baton and effectively hitting Lady WiFi in the head.

Ladybug retrieved her yo-yo, but she couldn't throw it with her shoulder paused.

Chat Noir jumped for Lady WiFi's phone, but she ducked and he ended up hitting the door.

"Well, well," Lady WiFi cooed. "Looks like you're trapped now."

Ladybug used her free hand to swipe for Lady WiFi's phone, but Lady WiFi just froze her other arm mid-swing.

Ladybug kicked up with her good ankle, effectively hitting Lady WiFi's hand away and causing her phone to go sailing. Lady WiFi dove for her phone, giving Chat Noir enough time to stand up and retrieve his now broken baton.

"Nice kick," he said.

"Thanks," Ladybug replied. "We need to find a way to take down the cell service."

"I didn't see a phone tower anywhere when we landed," Chat Noir stated. "Maybe there's another way?"

But that was the end of the conversation, because Lady WiFi was up on her feet again.

"The thing about that, Chat Noir," Lady WiFi said. "Is that you've seemed to forget the little detail that I have both of you trapped."

* * *

 **Also, I forgot to add - those villains mentioned but never fought on screen? Lets pretend those don't exist.**


	18. Chapter 18: Lady Wifi, Part 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything I didn't own last chapter. Literally. These were written and uploaded the same day, even though they weren't published the same day.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Lady Wifi, Part 2**

Lady WiFi threw another pause button at Chat Noir, forcing him to dodge away from Ladybug. He didn't have much room to move in the small dressing room they were in, and it wasn't long before Lady WiFi had him backed into the corner.

Chat Noir didn't let that stop him, though, and somehow managed to keep dodging Lady WiFi's attacks, but all the while Lady WiFi kept moving forward.

"Alya!" Ladybug called. "Leave him alone."

"Only if you provide me with some valuable information," Lady WiFi replied, but she did turn from Chat Noir.

"If it's information you want, then fine!" Ladybug replied.

Lady WiFi grinned and pushed the record button on her phone. A second later, the button appeared in front of Ladybug.

"So what is this information you want to provide, Ladybug?" Lady WiFi asked.

Ladybug grinned. "That you should never turn your back on Chat Noir."

Chat Noir, who had been creeping up on Lady WiFi, swiped her feet from underneath her and sent her tumbling to the floor. He reached for her phone, but grabbed it with his bad wrist and all it took was a hit from Lady WiFi for him to reflectively let go.

Lady WiFi grabbed her phone and rolled to a standing position, and Chat Noir was on his feet barely a second later.

"Nice try," Lady WiFi admitted. "But not good enough."

But she hadn't realized she was within kicking range of Ladybug, and Ladybug rammed the heel of her good foot into Lady WiFi's back, making her fall over again and drop her phone.

Lady WiFi grabbed her phone just as Chat Noir did, and the two of them had a brief tug-of-war over it. Eventually, Lady WiFi won, but she tumbled backwards as she did and was kicked by Ladybug again.

"Would you stop doing that?" Lady WiFi complained, rubbing her back.

"Nope," Ladybug replied. Chat Noir picked up one half of his makeshift baton and fell into a fencing position.

"You're surrounded," he said. "Not to mention, trapped."

Lady WiFi growled, hit something on her phone, and vanished.

"Not again," Chat Noir whined.

"Now what am I supposed to do?" Ladybug asked.

"There's no way out," Chat Noir noted, pulling on the door.

"She's trying to force you to use your powers," Ladybug said. "Like she did with me."

"Great," Chat Noir muttered. "But that doesn't help you."

"I'll find my own way out."

Chat Noir nodded. "I'll get out of here, destransform somewhere, and then recharge and find the cell tower."

"But she's probably waiting for you," Ladybug pointed out.

Chat Noir looked around. The four walls around him or the floor under him would be the obvious choices, but the room _was_ a cube and cube _did_ have six sides.

"I'll go up," Chat Noir replied, standing up on the bench to the vanity.

"How?" Ladybug asked. "You don't have your baton."

"I'll just have to climb up," Chat Noir decided. "I'll be back before you know it. Cataclysm!"

The ceiling crumbled, causing a ton of furniture to fall down on the superheroes. Fortunately, nothing hit Ladybug, but Chat Noir had to dodge a somewhat oversized lamp.

"I honestly didn't think about that," Chat Noir admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry."

"No harm done," Ladybug replied. "Now go!"

Chat Noir nodded and used the extra furniture to help him climb up and reach the door above.

Chat Noir gave Ladybug his signature salute before disappearing.

Ladybug sighed. Now she needed a way to get herself free...

"Lucky charm!"

A box of aluminum foil fell into her hands.

Ladybug immediately thought of a recent conspiracy movie her and Alya had watched, where people wore aluminum hats to block out signals from aliens. Could there be some truth to that?

It took a lot of struggle, but Ladybug managed to wrap one of the pause buttons with aluminum foil, and it disappeared.

"Nice," Ladybug muttered, and started on the other pause button.

* * *

Adrien hid in a bathroom while Plagg ate his cheese.

His makeshift splint had come undone sometimes during the battle, and now he was trying to redo it with paper towels and the original stick-thing Ladybug had brought him.

"I had no idea an injury like this could hurt so much," Adrien hissed as he finished wrapping the paper towels.

"If you don't want it to hurt, don't injure it," Plagg suggested, swallowing the last bit of cheese.

"Thanks for the tip," Adrien muttered. "Now, we need to go find that cell tower. Claws out!"

* * *

Ladybug called Chat Noir as soon as his signal went back online.

"You're free," he commented.

Ladybug nodded. "I didn't want Lady WiFi coming after me solo, but I used my lucky charm and am about to turn back. Have you found the cell tower yet?"

Chat Noir nodded. "I'm almost there. Go recharge, I'll need to recharge again anyways. Meet in you the lobby afterwards?"

Ladybug nodded. "Sounds good."

She hung up her yo-yo and hid herself in one of the bathrooms. Her transformation disappeared almost immediately.

Marinette leaned her head against the wall and sunk down to the floor. "I'm exhausted."

"I know," Tikki replied. "But you're doing great! Even paused like you were, you still managed to put up a fight!"

"Thanks," Marinette replied. "I remembered to bring snacks this time, so let me get you something to eat."

"You're always so on top of things," Tikki stated.

"Doesn't feel like it," Marinette noted as she found to cookie for Tikki, and an energy drink she bought from a vending machine before transforming for herself.

"You've already done so much!" Tikki commented. "You should be proud of yourself!"

"But there's still so much more to do," Marinette replied. "And the akumas are just going to get worse."

"Don't worry, Marinette," Tikki answered. "You and Chat Noir can handle anything, as long as you work together!"

Marinette smiled. "You think so?"

"I know so!"

* * *

 **In all honesty, Lady Wifi has got to be one of the most original villain, and she was fun (and hard) to write.**


	19. Chapter 19: Lady Wifi, Part 3

**A shorter chapter, but it ended where it ended and there was nothing I could do about it.**

 **Disclaimer: See last disclaimer.**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Lady Wifi, Part 3**

Ladybug beat Chat Noir to the lobby, but only by five seconds.

"Last I heard, Lady WiFi had moved back to the hotel," Ladybug said. "But for some reason, I'm not seeing any other updates."

"You're welcome," Chat Noir replied. He was leaning casually on his baton, but it was obvious he was proud of his work.

"Did you destroy the cell network completely?" Ladybug asked.

"Well, I figured there was no guarantee that she was still here," Chat Noir explained.

"Clever kitty," Ladybug replied, flicking the bell around Chat Noir's neck. "You practically rendered her useless. Now we just have to find her."

"Though I have a feeling that's going to be harder than it sounds," Chat Noir admitted. "Shall we start at the hotel?"

* * *

"I bet she's in the kitchen," Ladybug suggested, stumbling a bit as she landed on the hotel.

"Are you okay?" Chat Noir asked, grabbing her arm and helping her steady.

Ladybug nodded. "It's just my ankle."

"All of this activity it probably making it worse," Chat Noir said. "My wrist is definitely hurting more. Good thing I'm ambidet- ambientre-"

"Ambidextrous?" Ladybug asked. "I didn't think you were."

"Only when it comes to my baton," Chat Noir replied.

Ladybug smiled. "That's good. Now, let's go find Lady WiFi."

Ladybug and Chat Noir took the stairwell down to the kitchen and restaurant, where Lady WiFi was waiting for them.

"It's not over yet," Lady WiFi snarled.

"Looks like it's over to us," Ladybug replied. "Your powers don't work without cell service."

"You're forgetting," Lady WiFi said. "The wifi still works."

Ladybug and Chat Noir were forced to dart as Lady WiFi attacked them with pause buttons.

"Well it worked last time," Chat Noir complained, using his baton to deflect a pause button as he moved back next to Ladybug.

"I didn't think The Unclocker would have any effect on their powers," Ladybug muttered, spinning her yo-yo as a shield against the pause buttons. "But then again, I guess it makes sense that Lady _Wifi_ can use _wifi_ for her powers."

"True," Chat Noir admitted. "So now what?"

"Now we have to go for the phone," Ladybug said. "No other way around it."

"And how do we do that?"

Ladybug frowned. There was no obvious solution, but there had to be a way to the phone.

"The windows," Ladybug muttered. "We could crash through them."

"What?" Chat Noir questioned.

"Like The Bubbler," Ladybug explained. "We'll be out of her range, but she won't be out of ours."

"On a count of three?" Chat Noir asked.

Ladybug nodded. "One. Two. Three!"

Ladybug and Chat Noir both charged, surprising Lady WiFi. They crashed through the glass, acquiring a few scratches, and Ladybug threw her yo-yo as Chat Noir extended his baton to give them a soft landing.

Ladybug heard Lady WiFi yelp, and then a second later she was falling down after them, Ladybug's yo-yo around her waist.

Chat Noir grabbed Ladybug around her waist, hissing a bit as it pulled on his wrist.

Ladybug used her yo-yo to pull Lady WiFi towards her, then grabbed her wrist with one hand and her phone with the other.

Ladybug smashed the phone on her knee, and the winds picked up again.

* * *

Chat Noir rubbed his wrist, wishing it wasn't as painful as it was. Grabbing Ladybug like that had hurt.

Ladybug was also in pain, though she was trying to hide it. So much running and fighting, her ankle must be excruciating.

And with several more akumas to fight, neither injury would have any chance to heal.

Chat Noir watched as another hostage darted out of the room. Another person safe made it worth the pain.

"So who will you face next?" The Unclocker taunted.

Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged looks.

"What do you think?" Ladybug asked.

"Reflekta was fairly harmless," Chat Noir suggested, though even the name made his feet ache. He had hoped to never face the prospect of wearing heels again.

Chloe huffed somewhere, showing she disagreed with that assessment.

Ladybug nodded. "Reflekta it is."

"Good luck," The Unclocker said. "Or not, actually."

* * *

"You're doing good, Unclocker," Hawkmoth congratulated. "They're getting more and more tired. It won't be long before they lose to a previous akuma, and I'll already have the miraculous."

"Glad to be of service," The Unclocker replied. "Anything to end this pointless feud."

"It's hardly pointless," Hawkmoth argued. "But that's not important at the moment. Soon, the past couple fights will have been erased, and you will have never been delayed as you were during the battle with Blasto."

"I just wish I could undo more than that," The Unclocker admitted.

"Don't we all," Hawkmoth acknowledged. "But don't lose focus. It won't be long until their fight with Reflekta has been brought to its end, and they return."

"That is, if they return."

* * *

 **So yes, there will be a backstory to The Unclocker. Eventually.**


	20. Chapter 20: Reflekta, Part 1

**I just edited a whole bunch of NJAMFHGS chapters, and I am glad to be working on this one again.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the world represented herein.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Reflekta, Part 1**

Marinette definitely wasn't happy to find a cut down her neck when she appeared in the schoolyard.

She was alone - well, no, Chloe was probably spying on her - so it wasn't hard to make a hasty retreat into the bathroom.

"Must be from the glass," Marinette figured as she inspected the cut in the mirror. "Doesn't look too deep, so I should be able to just clean it up and leave it be."

Marinette limped over and grabbed a couple of towels just as a rush of students barged in.

"Another akuma attack!" One of them yelled at Marinette.

Marinette faked being surprised. "What? Where? And who?"

"I thinks it that goth girl in that class with the bratty girl," another answered.

"Oh no! Not Juleka!" Marinette replied. "Oh, I have to find Rose - I'll be right back!"

Marinette burst from the bathroom and found a hidden corner to transform in.

"Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Chat Noir decided he would have to have a talk with Nino about being subtle.

At the sound of Nino's proclamation, Reflekta turned and immediately started to shoot at Chat Noir.

He dodged a little less easily than the first time, but he managed to avoid being hit. That was an experience he didn't want to repeat.

"Save us Chat Noir!" Someone called, but Chat Noir knew better than to stick around the lockers.

"You're a little slow, you know," Chat Noir taunted, running up the stairways and jumping over Reflekta.

"I hate cats," she grunted, almost hitting Chat Noir but still missing slightly.

"That's really a shame," Chat Noir replied, dodging another blast.

He could see students in the courtyard peaking out of their hiding places. He still needed to get how, but how could he without being hit again?

"Need a little help, kitty?"

Ladybug landed in front of Chat Noir, spinning her yo-yo to create a shield.

"Thanks," Chat Noir replied.

"Get the students out," Ladybug ordered before engaging Reflekta.

Chat Noir nodded and jumped into the schoolyard. He landed next to the lockers.

"Cataclysm!"

* * *

Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Reflekta's arms, keeping her from aiming.

Reflekta jerked her body just enough to set Ladybug off-balance, and she slipped off the roof and landed on the nearest solid surface - one of the hallways on the top floor.

Ladybug grimaced. That had hurt her ankle a ton.

Below her, the lockers disappeared and the students began filing out.

"No!" Reflekta yelled, jumping down to the courtyard and shooting at Chat Noir, who dodged easily.

Ladybug pushed herself up and followed Reflekta down, landing harshly on her bad ankle. She forced herself not to wince.

Chat Noir dodged another blast as Ladybug once again wrapped her yo-yo around Reflekta. Chat Noir used his baton to sweep her feet from underneath her, and soon she was bundled up and wrapped nicely.

"I'll take that," Ladybug said, leaning down to grab the bracelet.

Reflekta head-butted her in her bad ankle, and Ladybug let out a cry and stumbled backward, accidentally dropping her yo-yo as she did so.

Reflekta stood up and aimed a blast at Ladybug, but Chat Noir pushed her out of the way at the last second.

Ladybug rolled and grabbed her yo-yo as Chat Noir stood up and blocked another blast with his baton.

Ladybug pulled herself up to her knees and threw her yo-yo again, this time wrapping it around Reflekta's wrist. She yanked it, and the blast went somewhere between Chat Noir and Ladybug.

Reflekta aimed for Ladybug, but she rolled away at the last second and the blast hit the ground.

Ladybug stood up and yanked her yo-yo, throwing off Reflekta's shot again. Reflekta grimaced and began pulling at the string.

"Chat Noir! Grab her bracelet!"

Chat Noir grabbed Reflekta's wrist with one hand, but she punched him in the nose and sent him stumbling back. She shot another blast at Ladybug, who barely had time to duck.

Realizing that her yo-yo wasn't keeping Reflekta from aiming at her, Ladybug ran towards Reflekta and catapulted herself over, bringing Reflekta's arm with her as she did. The other girl toppled backwards and landed on her butt.

Reflekta fired a blast blindly, and it went between Ladybug's legs. Reflekta rolled over and aimed again, nearly hitting Ladybug's ankle and forcing Ladybug to dodge.

Ladybug retracted her yo-yo, and positioned herself behind Reflekta's range.

Chat Noir's ring beeped. "I only have two minutes."

"Go!" Ladybug called. "I can handle this."

Chat Noir nodded and ran off as Reflekta stood up again.

"Now, it's just the two of us," Ladybug said.

She spun her yo-yo as Reflekta shot at her, backing up as Reflekta advanced.

Ladybug stumbled as her ankle gave out, and her defense wavered. Reflekta aimed, but hesitated for a moment and dropped her arm.

"Actually, I think I'll take those earrings first," Reflekta decided, stepping closer to Ladybug.

"Not a chance," Ladybug replied, rolling out of the way and automatically trying to stand up. Pain spread up her leg, and she just ended up on her knees again.

"How do you expect to fight me if you can't even stay on your feet?" Reflekta taunted, moving closer again.

"Hey Reflekta!"

Chat Noir sent his two halves of his baton flying, forcing Reflekta to dodge.

Ladybug scurried out of the way, deliberately standing up this time and keeping her wait on her good ankle.

Chat Noir's ring beeped as his baton pieces returned to him like a boomerang. Ladybug saw the tension in his body - he was almost out of time.

Reflekta returned to her previous attack method and shot at Ladybug again, but she wrapped her yo-yo around a railing and soared over Reflekta. She landed behind her classmate, grabbed Reflketa's arm mid-aim, and pointed it at Chat Noir.

Reflekta fired just as Chat Noir ran out of time.

Ladybug watched as her partner's transformation began to wear off, but before he fully transformed back, the blast hit him and sent him into the wall, now looking exactly like Reflekta.

* * *

 **Poor Chat Noir.**


	21. Chapter 21: Reflekta, Part 2

**(Insert funny joke here.)**

 **(Insert funny disclaimer here.)**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Reflekta, Part 2**

Chat Noir gave himself two seconds.

And then he was up on his feet again.

Reflekta tossed Ladybug across the schoolyard, but Ladybug stuck the landing - and on one foot! - and began spinning her yo-yo again.

Chat Noir looked around for some way to help, but couldn't find anything he could use.

"You look great," Plagg snickered in his ear. The Kwami has just appeared as Reflekta's beam had hit Chat Noir, and now he was hiding behind Chat Noir's back.

"I thought so," Chat Noir admitted. "Is there anything you can do to fight?"

"I'm a Kwami, kid," Plagg replied. "I help you fight, not fight myself. Besides, I need some cheese."

Chat Noir sighed and resigned himself to finding some other way to help.

Ladybug and Reflekta has made it up the stairs, Ladybug hopping more than walking. She positioned herself against the railing, and in one smooth motion, vaulted over, grabbed the rim of the basketball hoop, used her momentum to swing over and flip back to Reflekta, with the hoop in her hand. Ladybug landed the hoop over Reflekta's head, and it fell down and trapped her arms.

"Hey!" Reflekta complained.

Ladybug sent her yo-yo down for Chat Noir to grab and lifted her partner up.

"Let's go and regroup," she said. "While she's distracted."

Chat Noir nodded. "After you, my lady."

* * *

"We could attract her to the Tv station like we did last time," Chat Noir suggested.

Ladybug nodded. "We'll know this time to make sure she's actually Reflekta, and not the mayor or anyone else. But then again... did you see where Chloe went?"

"I think she was heading for the hotel," Chat Noir suggested. "Reflekta was targeting her, wasn't she?"

"Let's go there and see if we can find Reflekta," Ladybug decided. "Need a lift?"

"Yes please," Chat Noir replied.

Ladybug wrapped her hand around Chat Noir waste, threw her yo-yo, and soon they both were soaring through the skies of Paris.

It didn't take long before they were at the hotel.

"Looks like we beat her here," Ladybug noted, landing softly on the roof.

"Not by much!" Reflekta landed behind them, and Ladybug barely had time to dodge her attack. Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Reflekta's legs and yanked, and Reflekta toppled to the ground.

She was up before Ladybug had a chance to make her move, and once again Ladybug was forced to dodge.

Chat Noir watched Reflekta and Ladybug go back and forth, neither making much progress.

Neither payed much attention to Chat Noir.

Chat Noir slowly but casually walked towards Reflekta, and her attention still remained Ladybug. Reflekta raised her arm to shoot, and Chat Noir grabbed on and yanked it towards him. He reached out to smash the bracelet, but Reflekta reacted too quickly and smacked him away, causing him to momentarily black out.

* * *

Ladybug threw her yo-yo just as Reflekta hit Chat Noir, and her wrist moved just enough for Ladybug's yo-yo to miss.

But in the half-second it took for the yo-yo to return, Ladybug managed to alter the angle, and the yo-yo smacked into Reflekta's bracelet.

The winds picked up just as Chat Noir was pushing himself off the ground. When they cleared, a lot of people giggled.

"Another nosebleed?" Chat Noir groaned.

"Not to mention that you still look like Reflekta," Ladybug added.

Chat Noir looked down at his outfit.

"I think you pull it off well," Alya called from the back of the hotel room.

Even The Unclocker was hiding a grin. "Looks like you had an... interesting time."

"I hate heels," Chat Noir grumbled as Ladybug helped him stand up. "So, who next?"

* * *

 **(Insert - I don't know. Something. I just like the look of it better when there's an author's comment on the bottom. You think of something funny or interesting.)**


	22. Chapter 22: Guitar Villain, Part 1

**Writing Fang was super fun...**

 **Disclaimer: The characters, themes, settings, etc, that are found in _Miraculous Ladybug_ are not mine and belong to the original creators. **

* * *

**Chapter 22: Guitar Villain, Part 1**

"Ow," she complained, stumbling backwards.

Because of that, it took her a good couple of seconds to figure out where she was.

Hotel lobby.

She was holding the first version of the album cover she made in her hand. She must have been on the way home from meeting with Jagged Stone - though Marinette remembered being on the streets when she first noticed Guitar Villain.

She hid behind the front desk of the hotel. "He must be on the way down already. Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Adrien couldn't help but be relieved when he transformed back to his normal self.

His feet ached terribly from those horrific shoes, and his wrist was throbbing, but at least his nose bleed had stopped.

For the moment, he was stuck in the back of the limo, but it wouldn't be long before he was facing Guitar Villain.

Guitar Villain was far from a close call, but he had had an annoying habit of banging Chat Noir against the wall repeatedly, an experience Chat Noir wasn't excited to repeat.

His bodyguard pulled the limo to a stop, and Adrien got out and walked into the hotel lobby.

After checking that it was clear, he ducked behind the front desk. "Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

"He's heading for the Eiffel Tower," Ladybug said when Chat Noir landed behind her on the roof. "Which means it won't be long before he heads towards the TV studio. I've already called to warn XY about him, but we should be able to beat Guitar Villian to the studio if we leave now and get XY to safety."

Chat Noir nodded. "Sounds like a plan. No chance you picked up hair gel?"

Ladybug shook her head. "Didn't get the chance. Besides, I don't think any store-bought gel would be that effective."

"Then we'll have to find another way to beat him," Chat Noir replied.

"Let's get XY to safety first," Ladybug suggested. "Then we'll deal with Guitar Villain."

Ladybug and Chat Noir swung down to the back of the TV studio just as XY was walking out.

"Jagged Stone's been acumatized," Ladybug said. "And he has a dragon. Don't argue and come with us."

"Dragon?" XY asked. "Those are so-"

"Yeah, yeah," Chat Noir interrupted. "Let's get you out of here."

"Dragon!" One of the workers behind XY screamed.

Ladybug looked up to see Fang diving their way, Guitar .

"Get him out of here," Ladybug said. "I'll handle Guitar Villain."

Chat Noir nodded and grabbed XY while Ladybug turned to face Fang. She swung her yo-yo and wrapped it around Fang's mouth, and swung herself up and around so that she was on top of the dragon.

She yanked her yo-yo up, forcing Fang to swoop up as he approached where XY was.

"Hey," Guitar Villain complained. "You don't get to ride my Fang like that."

Ladybug turned to face him. "Yeah? Then try and stop me."

"Awesome solo!"

Ladybug dove off of Fang, and used her yo-yo to swing back around. She kicked Guitar Villain's guitar with her good foot, nearly knocking it out of his hand.

Guitar Villain stumbled back a couple steps, but recovered before he fell off of his dragon.

"Rock 'n' riff!" Guitar Villain yelled, and this time the sound waves crashed into Ladybug and knocked her off the dragon.

She swung back on, and yanked her yo-yo so that Fang turned sharply.

Guitar Villain momentarily lost his balance. Ladybug pulled Fang into another sharp turn, preventing Guitar Villain from recovering.

She looked over the horizon, trying to find a place to land to take on Guitar Villain. Her eyes fell on the Eiffel Tower.

Ladybug brought Fang into another sharp turn, bringing him over the Eiffel Tower. She knocked Guitar Villain off onto the top platform before driving Fang down to the bars down below, where hopefully he would be stuck.

With Fang taken care of, Ladybug retracted her yo-yo from his mouth and wrapped it around the top of the tower. She swung up there just as Guitar Villain was standing up, gracefully landing on her uninjured foot.

"Looks like it's just you and me," Ladybug said.

"Don't tell me you thought you'd get rid of me that easily," Chat Noir purred, sliding down from the top of the tower.

"Where's Fang?" Guitar Villain demanded.

"He's fine," Ladybug replied. "Just not in a position to help you."

"You're by yourself, Guitar Villain," Chat Noir added.

"Good thing I can rock it solo," Guitar Villain replied. "Awesome solo!"

Chat Noir dodged as a wave of sound came soaring towards him. The wave hit the top of the tower harmlessly.

"What's the plan?" Chat Noir asked.

"Avoid being hit until we figure out a way to get to the guitar," Ladybug answered.

With a dramatic strum of his guitar, Guitar Villain sent another wave of sound towards the two superheroes.

They dodged in opposite directions, and the sound waves broke the railing.

Chat Noir extended his baton and almost managed to ram it into the sound hole in the middle of the guitar, but Guitar Villain reacted at the last second.

"Rock 'n' riff, baby!"

A wave of sound shot at Chat Noir, and he was thrown off of the Eiffel Tower.

Ladybug quickly glanced over the edge to make sure her partner was okay before turning her attention back to Guitar Villain.

Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around the top of the tower, and pulled herself up.

She swung towards Guitar Villain, but he strummed his guitar and she was sent flying up in the air. Even while using her yo-yo to guide her, Ladybug still ended up falling on the other side of the Eiffel Tower.

She retracted her yo-yo and wrapped in around a closer beam.

As Ladybug stopped her fall, she could see Chat Noir climbing up the other side of the tower, and Fang still stuck between the bars.

Ladybug sighed and started ascending the tower again.

* * *

 **Guitar Villain is definitely a unique villain.**


	23. Chapter 23: Guitar Villain, Part 2

**I probably could've combined the two Guitar Villain chapters... oh well. Here's a super short one for you!**

 **Disclaimer: Is there any way to make these creative? I mean, I've been trying, but I'm sure I've failed every attempt.**

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Guitar Villain, Part 2**

Chat Noir was forced to duck the second he landed.

As the sound waves passed over him, Chat Noir scanned the area for Ladybug. She wasn't on the platform anymore, which temporarily left Chat Noir alone to deal with Guitar Villain.

Chat Noir extended his baton as he stood back up. "The real Jagged Stone rocks twice as hard."

"I can rock!" Guitar Villain roared. "Awesome solo!"

Chat Noir darted to the side as waves of sound blew past where he had been. He separated his baton and threw the halves as boomerangs, hoping for a distraction.

As Guitar Villain turned to blow away the baton pieces, Chat Noir ran towards the guitar, claws out, hoping to snap a string or two. Guitar Villain reacted just before Chat Noir's hand reached the guitar, and he was blasted back.

Chat Noir flailed as he tried to find his grip before he ended up falling again, but he was too high up to grab onto anything. He found himself falling off the tower again, except this time he didn't have his baton to catch his fall. As the ground came rushing up, Chat Noir looked around for some way to catch himself.

He was saved when the yo-yo wrapped around his wrist.

Ladybug was on the other side of the tower, standing on one of the highest beam. Her yo-yo shot through the empty spaces in the tower.

"Thanks," Chat Noir called. He swung towards the Eiffel Tower, not realizing until too late that he was swinging into one of the beams. His forehead smacked right into the bottom of the beam. With a groan, Chat Noir climbed on top of the beam, and Ladybug released her yo-yo.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug called.

Chat Noir gave her two thumbs up.

He leaned back against the beam, a giant headache pulsing where he hit himself.

"Be ready, Chat Noir!" Ladybug called.

"Ready for what?" Chat Noir asked.

Ladybug just grinned. "You'll see."

* * *

Ladybug swung all the way up onto the platform, landing epically without putting weight on her bad ankle.

Guitar Villain was leaning over the railing, trying to see where Chat Noir went.

"Show's over, Guitar Villain!" Ladybug swung her yo-yo and wrapped it around Guitar Villain's legs. "And no one wants an encore."

She yanked his legs up before Guitar Villain could straighten up, causing his torso to go over the railing. He flailed around, and his guitar fell down.

"Hey!" Guitar Villain complained. Ladybug didn't have a chance to respond before the winds picked up.

* * *

Chat Noir watched Ladybug disappear, curious as to what she had meant.

It wasn't the first time he received instructions like that, but it was the first time he received instructions like that while stuck on the Eiffel Tower without his baton.

Of course, he could still climb up with the advantages of his miraculous, but Ladybug might expect him to stay here. As if she might drop something his way.

And sure enough, Guitar Villain's guitar flew past him moments later, too far away from him to grab without his baton.

So Chat Noir just watched it fall, figuring that a drop like that would be enough to break the guitar.

* * *

Ladybug bit her lip. "I don't think Gamer is a good idea."

Chat Noir frowned. "Why not?" He couldn't remember any good reason, unless...

No. He put that thought from his mind.

Ladybug hesitated. "It's just - he has the potential to do a lot of damage, that's all."

"They all have the potential to do a lot of damage," Chat Noir noted.

Ladybug nodded. "You're right, of course." She took a deep breath. "Gamer it is."

* * *

 **So, why exactly does Ladybug not want to fight Gamer? Let's just say that it's going to be an interesting couple of chapters...**


	24. Chapter 24: Gamer, Part 1

**Giant robot time!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Miraculous Ladybug_ or it's characters. All rights to their respective owners.**

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Gamer, Part 1**

This was a horrible idea.

When they fought Stormy Weather, Marinette had been trapped. When they fought Timebreaker, Marinette had been frozen.

And now? With Gamer specifically targeting her?

This was going to be a disaster. But Marinette couldn't tell Chat Noir that, without telling him why. And as desperate as their situation was, Marinette didn't think she was ready for that yet.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Tikki said, peeking out of Marinette's purse. "It looks like you were just leaving school. It's still a while before Gamer comes after you, Marinette. Transform now and there won't be a problem."

"You're right, of course," Marinette replied. She looked around at the street corner she was on. "Tikki-"

Something went thump, and Marinette looked behind her.

Gamer had arrived early.

* * *

"We should still head for Marinette's," Adrien reasoned. "It would be a good place to watch out for Gamer, since she was his target."

"And you want food from her parents," Plagg added.

"Maybe," Adrien admitted.

"Good," Plagg replied. "You can't keep up with all these akumas with an empty stomach. Nor can I."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "I'll make sure you get some cheese."

He opened the door to Marinette's apartment, climbed up the steps and knocked on the front door. Marinette's mother opened the door with a bright grin.

"Adrien! What are you doing here? Come in, come in." Adrien walked in, repeating the same conversation from so long ago. But when Marinette didn't interrupt their conversation, like she had the first time around, Adrien began to worry.

"Is Marinette home yet?" Adrien asked.

"I think so," Marinette's mother replied. "We don't always see her come in. Why don't you go upstairs and see if she's up there?"

Adrien nodded. "Alright."

He walked up the stairs and knocked on the trap door, only entering after he received no reply.

"Marinette?" Adrien called as he peeked into the room. And was caught completely off guard by the large amounts of poster in her room.

Of him.

"Looks like she might be a little obsessed," Plagg noted.

Adrien felt himself blush. "Shut up, Plagg. Looks like she isn't here. Gamer must have gotten to her already."

"So does that mean no cheese?" Plagg whined.

"I'll get you cheese later. Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

"He's already at level two," Marinette hissed, stopping to catch her breath behind a car.

"The Unclocker's powers really had an effect this time," Tikki noted. "But I'm sure Chat Noir will be here soon, and then you'll have time to transform and finish the battle!"

The car vanished into pixels, and Marinette was forced to run again. She stumbled as her ankle gave out, crashing into the road. The road scraped her arms, and the outside of her hands started to bleed.

Behind her, Gamer was leveling up again.

"Level three already," Marinette whispered.

"Not so victorious now, are we?" Gamer taunted.

"Alright, Gamer," Marinette called. "You win."

"Think you'll save yourself by admitting defeat?" Gamer questioned. "Then again... do you admit that I'm a better gamer than you?"

"Yes!" Marinette replied.

"And do you forfiet your position in the tournament?"

"Yes!"

Gamer's robot reached out and picked Marinette up. He opened the window on his pyramid head, and Gamer grabbed Marinette and pulled her in.

"Max?" Marinette asked.

"You will watch my victory!" Gamer replied.

"But you've already won," Marinette stated.

"Against you," Gamer answered. "But now, I will face the boss level - Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

* * *

You'd think a giant robot would be easy to find, but Chat Noir did not find Gamer easily.

As he ran across the rooftops, he tried to reach Ladybug through his baton, but she didn't pick up. Hopefully that meant she was already engaging Gamer, or taking Marinette to safety. But when Chat Noir found Gamer, the giant robot was by himself and unchallenged.

And already at level three, of course.

"Hey, tin can!" Chat Noir called, landing on the street behind Gamer. "Why not pick on someone your own skill level?"

"Impossible," Gamer responded, turning to face Chat Noir. "No one is at my skill level. I am the best."

Chat Noir extended his baton. "Wanna bet?"

Gamer fired, and Chat Noir dodged easily. He jumped up onto a streetlight and then back onto the rooftops, already knowing where to head to.

Gamer trampled behind him, aiming and missing as Chat Noir led the robot down to the stadium.

If Ladybug was waiting for him anywhere, she'd be there.

* * *

Marinette watched Gamer intently control his robot, trying to decide what the best course of action was.

The akuma was right there, in his glasses.

But if Marinette broke the glasses now, would she arrive back at the hotel detransformed? She was almost sure she would, and that was something that could never happen.

But there had to be something she could do from in here.

She watched Chat Noir leading Gamer to the stadium, and hoped that Chat Noir would be able to hold his own. Chat Noir leaped over the stadium's wall, and a second later Gamer followed.

Marinette was jostled as Gamer landed roughly on the stadium's green.

"Chat Noir," Gamer called. "Are you ready?"

Chat Noir extended his baton. "Are you?"

* * *

 **And yes, I absolutely had to add in that part of Adrien seeing Marinette's room with all of his posters. Sue me.**


	25. Chapter 25: Gamer, Part 2

**Giant robot time part 2!**

 **Disclaimer: if it wasn't mine in the last chapter, it's not mine now.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Gamer, Part 2**

 _Where was Ladybug?_

Chat Noir dodged another blast from Gamer, jumping up into the bleachers and forcing the giant robot to turn. He had been fighting Gamer for a solid ten minutes now, and still no sign of Ladybug.

Chat Noir ran through the bleachers as Gamer fired, knowing he would have to change tactics soon. He couldn't stay on the defensive.

Changing his direction drastically, Chat Noir used the bleachers to push off and jumped on the robot's head. Gamer jerked up, unable to shoot at Chat Noir from that angle. Chat Noir almost lost his balance as the robot's head titles back, but grabbed onto the head and held on.

Gamer did his best to shake Chat Noir off, but the superhero dug into his inner stubbornness and held on. Gamer swung his head forward, and Chat Noir slipped forward and ended up over the window on the robot's head. Through the window, he could see Gamer rapidly hitting buttons. Behind him, Marinette was in the corner, staring Gamer down from her position. That was a difference from last time, but at least she wasn't injured.

Chat Noir gave both his best wave. Marinette rolled her eyes and Gamer made a face at him.

Gamer pushed a few buttons, and Chat Noir was forced to dodge as the robot's hand came towards his position. He landed on the ground, once again within Gamer's range. But the robot didn't fire again. Instead, Gamer reached at Chat Noir with his robot hands. Chat Noir jumped backwards, but still brushed with the outside of the hands, and the contact was enough to send him flying.

He collided with the floor of the stadium, the impact knocking the breath out from his lungs. He had no time to recover before a robot hand grabbed him.

Chat Noir squirmed as the hand lifted him off the ground, but wasn't able to loosen himself from the grip. The hand brought him eye-level with the window of the robot, just in time for Hawkmoth's mask to appear over Gamer's face.

And then the robot stopped.

* * *

Marinette froze when she saw Gamer pause.

Her partner was caught, and she had been about to make a move to save him - whatever the results might be - but now she was wondering if there was some unseen advantage she could exploit.

Hawkmoth's mask faded from Gamer's face, and Marinette grinned. Of course.

"What's wrong?" She asked, trying to sound clueless. She eyed Chat Noir out of the corner of her eye. How much time did he need? He was readjusting his position, reaching for his baton. By the look on his face, he was close to breaking free. All he needed was a little time.

"I, um," Gamer mumbled. "I don't actually have a way to grab his ring."

"Oh, but couldn't you bring him in here and grab his ring then?" Marinette suggested innocently.

Gamer hummed. "That would work." He pushed a few buttons, and the robot began to bring the superhero in.

"But wait!" Marinette grabbed Gamer's shoulder. "What if he tries to fight you? You're unarmed."

Outside, Chat Noir's baton slipped out and fell to the ground. It was up to Marinette to save him.

A plan began forming in her mind.

Gamer tapped his chin. "I guess I could leave him trapped, and reach out and grab the ring." He stopped the robot hand inches from the window, and stood up to open the window. Marinette slowly crept up behind him, watching as Gamer leaned out the window to grab Chat Noir's ring.

With a little shove, Gamer fell out of the window.

Marinette peered out the window. Gamer had grabbed onto a ledge on the robot and was flailing around.

Chat Noir grinned. "Nice work, princess. Now, would you mind freeing me?"

Marinette nodded and looked over Gamer's controls. She pushed a few buttons, and the hand released Chat Noir.

Chat Noir slid down the robot arm and went up to the window. "Would you like a lift down?"

Marinette nodded and let Chat Noir grab onto her. He jumped down the robot, catching himself on a ledge, and then jumped down to the ground. He brought her to the hallway off the side of the field.

"You'll be safe here," Chat Noir said, and Marinette nodded.

"Be careful," she replied.

Chat Noir grinned and did his signature salute before running back to Gamer.

Marinette made sure both the superhero and the villain were out of sight. "I think it's about time Ladybug arrived. Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Chat Noir picked Gamer up from the ledge he was flailing on and sat him down on the bleachers.

"Game's over," Chat Noir declared.

"Not until Ladybug arrives," Gamer countered. "And it doesn't look like she's here."

"Then you need to look again."

Chat Noir couldn't help but grin as Ladybug swung down next to him.

"Sorry about that," she said. "I had other issues to deal with. But it looks like you handled him fine yourself."

Chat Noir shrugged. "Turns out that his robot isn't made for fighting people. Don't know what Hawkmoth thought when he created this akuma. Do you want to do the honors?"

Ladybug smiled and picked Gamer's glasses off his face. With a snap, the winds began to pick up again.

* * *

 **... I may have been picturing the scene in _Meet the Robinsons_ (also not mine) with the T-rex trying to grab the kid, but not being able to because his head was too big and arms were too small, while writing some of this. **


	26. Chapter 26: Horrificator, Part 1

**Yeah, autocorrect didn't like this chapter. Oh well.**

 **Disclaimer: same as always.**

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Horrificator, Part 1**

When the winds died down, Marinette was mid-step with all her weight on her bad ankle. So, naturally, she ended up crashing into the wall.

"Are you okay?" Tikki asked, peeking out of Marinette's bag.

Marinette nodded. "That was just an awkward position to be in suddenly. And you know how clumsy I am."

Marinette looked around. She was only a couple yards from the classroom, but no one was around and her ankle was easier to deal with transformed.

"I think I should transform here," Marinette figured. "If I remember correctly, I just said I was going to find Mylene. When they realize she's been akumatized, they'll think she's already taken me."

"And this way you can find Mylene before she starts taking your classmates," Tikki added.

Marinette nodded. "Exactly. Tikki - spots on."

* * *

"We've already lost one lead," Nino complained. "You're not allowed to leave too."

"I'll be right back," Adrien replied. "I just need to use the restroom."

" _Dude_."

"Come on, Adrikins," Chloé chirped, leaning onto Adrien's shoulder. "You can wait until we've shot this scene, can't you? For me?"

"Seriously, guys-" Adrien took a step towards the door, but Chloé tightened her grip and pulled him towards her.

"We have to film this, dude," Nino said. "And tonight. You're not running off on me this time."

"But I-"

"Will finish the scene." Nino walked closer to Adrien and pointed his phone at him. "Right, dude?"

Adrien sighed. "Fine. But let's get this out of the way quickly."

Though if memory served, Adrien would be stuck in the classroom for a while. Nino, Alya, and Chloe bickered as Juleka brushed up on Adrien's makeup. Rose handed him a drink, which was maybe the best thing to happen to him in a while.

And then, of course, Chloé snatched it out of his hand.

Adrien was about to try to signal to Rose for more food - he was starved - when Ladybug dropped onto the hallway in front of the classroom.

"Ladybug!" Both Alya and Chloe squealed.

Nino raised his phone's camera. "Sweet!"

Ladybug opened the door, definitely limping worse than before. "Your classmate has been akumatized. I need to get you out of here."

"Ladybug, I have a friend who went to check on Mylene," Alya said. "Marinette. Did you see her?"

Ladybug took a shaky breath. "Marinette? I didn't see her. She must have been taken already."

Alya gasped.

"Don't worry." Ladybug put a comforting hand on Alta's shoulder. "She'll be fine. I promise."

"What kind of villain could Mylene even be?" Chloe questioned. "She's such a scaredy-cat."

"Don't say that!" Ivan replied. "The only reason this has happened is because of you!"

Chloe scoffed. "Whatever."

"Mylene's transformed into Horrificator," Ladybug said. "She feeds off of fear, so I need everyone to stay calm."

"I'm always calm," Chloe replied, putting her hand over her chest. "You can count on me, Ladybug."

The rest of the class nodded.

"What do you need us to do?" Adrien asked.

Ladybug took a deep breath. "Well, uh - stick together, mostly. No running off on your own." She shot a pointed look towards Chloe. "And do exactly as I say. Is that clear?" The class nodded. "Good. Let's get you out of here. Horrificator's blocking the entrances, so I'll take you out over the roofs."

Ladybug opened the classroom door and ushered everyone out. Adrien used the distraction to grab one of Rose's snacks without anyone noticing and hid it in his jacket.

"Cheese," Plagg groaned.

"Shush," Adrien replied, and followed the rest of the class out into the hallway. Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around something on the roof, and tugged to prove that it was safe.

"Alright," Ladybug said. "You-" she pointed at Max, "you-" Sabrina, "and you-" and Rose, "come with me. The rest of you stay here until I come back. Alya's in charge."

Alya grinned. "Did you hear that? Ladybug put me in charge."

Ladybug gestured for Sabrina to climb on her back, and then for Rose to grab on around Sabrina. She grabbed Max with her left hand, and readied herself to swing away.

"But what about me?" Chloe whined.

"I'll be back," Ladybug replied, and off she went.

Adrien watched her go, and then began sneaking off in the other direction.

"Ladybug said stay here," Alya said, reaching through the crowd of students to grab Adrien's shirt. "So you're staying here. And don't say you need to use the restroom - we don't have time for that."

Adrien sighed. "I was just-"

"Nope," Alya replied. "You're staying here. We're all staying here until Ladybug comes back."

Adrien looked around, trying to find a way out. He had to help Ladybug somehow, but if he couldn't leave...

He considered transforming right then, but he quickly shook the thought out of his head. He wasn't that desperate yet.

"What is that?" Chloe screamed, hiding behind Adrien. She pointed up at the roof, where Horrificator was beginning to coat the school with goo.

"Cool," Juleka said. Nino raised his camera.

"She's trying to trap us in," Kim observed. "We'll be doomed!"

"Ladybug will be back," Alya replied. "She'll handle this."

"Just stay calm," Adrien added. "Remember, Horrificator works off of fear. Everyone needs to take a breath."

"Exactly." Ladybug landed on the railing, and recalled her yo-yo. "Adrien and Alya know what they are talking about."

Alya squealed at the compliment.

Ladybug looked up at the sky, which was slowly being covered by goo. "I don't have time to take anymore of you out. We'll have to find someplace here for you to hide."

She looked back up at the sky, and Adrien couldn't help but feel a little guilty. He knew she was waiting for Chat Noir - for him - and was worried that once the goo covered the entire school, she would be left alone.

Adrien knew he would have to sneak off as soon as possible. As capable as Ladybug was, he didn't want her fighting alone. But for now, he would have to do his best to help as his civilian self.

Horrificator roared and landed on the other side of the hallway. Adrien's classmates screamed - with the exception of Juleka and Nino - and Horrificator grew.

Nino raised his camera up and Alya smacked his hand back down.

"Back!" Ladybug ordered, gesturing with her left arm for the students to back up.

"Down the stairs," Adrien called, grabbing the classmate closest to him - which, of course, was Chloe - and pushing her towards the stairs. The rest of the class followed.

Nino went last, and, as stated in the laws of the universe, he grabbed Adrien as he ran, forcing Adrien to escape with the rest of the class.

As Adrien did his best to lead his classmates to safety, he could see Ladybug begin to face off Horrificator out of the corner of his eye.

* * *

 **Adrien is definitely having some bad luck.**


	27. Chapter 27: Horrificator, Part 2

**So, I am not French. I have never sung the French National Anthem. My apologies if I got the one line featured in this chapter wrong.**

 **Also, I do not own the National Anthem of France, or _Miraculous Ladybug._**

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Horrificator, Part 2**

Ladybug swung her yo-yo in a circle and deflected the blast of goo.

"I'm not afraid of you," Ladybug called.

Horrificator growled and shot another blast of goo. Ladybug leaned back on her bad ankle just enough to cause her to stumble, and she ended up being thrown back by the goo.

Horrificator bounded towards Ladybug as the superhero tried to sit back up. The goo was strong, and Ladybug was trapped.

Horrificator roared in Ladybug's face, and the monster's breath smelled like Kim's gym socks.

Ladybug's mind raced. How was she going to free herself?

Could she sing Smelly Wolf all by herself? Was there some way to break the slime?

And where was Chat Noir?

"You have no power against me, Mylene," Ladybug said. "I'm not scared of you. And I think you're brave, Mylene - one of the bravest people I know."

Horrificator blinked, momentarily confused.

Slowly, Ladybug retracted her yo-yo. "You don't need Hawkmoth to make you brave, Mylene."

Horrificator took a step back, as if unsure, but Hawkmoth's mask appeared around her face and Ladybug knew her time was up.

"Lucky charm!"

* * *

Chloe made a big deal of plugging her nose and making a face.

"It's not that bad," Kim argued.

"It's the boy's locker room," Chloe replied. "Of course it stinks."

Adrien slid his back up against the wall, and slowly began creeping towards the bathroom. It would be hard to transform in there, but he couldn't let the chance-

"Dude, do you see this video?" Nino asked, putting his arm around Adrien. "I can totally win the film contest with this!"

He played a short video of Horrificator roaring.

"Would you try to take this seriously?" Chloe asked. "We're under attack. My hair is _ruined_."

"What a tragedy," Alya muttered.

Adrien leaned his head against the wall. He could hear Horrificator roaring, and he hoped Ladybug was doing okay. Especially since it looked like he would be stuck for a little while longer.

The Unclocker's bad luck powers seemed to extend beyond the actual battle. Adrien had never had problems sneaking away before, at least not like this. But now, every time he moved away someone found him.

There was no chance to slip away. At least, not yet.

* * *

Ladybug slipped the long beam, her lucky charm, under the goo, and used her legs to pull it down.

The solid goo cracked, and Ladybug was free again.

She barely had time to raise her yo-yo to block Horrificator's next attack.

Horrificator roared as Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around the railing across the courtyard. She pushed off with her good foot and sailed over the courtyard.

Making sure not to put weight on her bad ankle, Ladybug landed in the courtyard. Her earrings beeped, reminding her that she needed to recharge. That is, if she even had food.

But first, she needed someway to occupy Horrificator while she was recharging.

Ladybug scanned the courtyard, trying to figure out if there was some way to trap Horrificator.

But she didn't have much time to plan, because Horrificator landed behind her.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo and deflected another blast of goo, but was caught off-guard when Horrificator used her tail to smack Ladybug.

With a yelp, Ladybug was thrown into the wall of the courtyard. She tumbled back onto the ground, needing a moment to catch her breath.

Horrificator roared again. Ladybug stood up and faced Horrificator.

"You have really bad breath, you know," Ladybug said.

Horrificator snarled, as if insulted. She swiped again with her tail, bur Ladybug easily ducked and the tail sailed over her head, making her pigtails bounce.

Ladybug's earrings beeped again, and a little bit of worry gnawed in her stomach. She couldn't get away without leaving the her classmates defenseless.

Apparently, that was enough to make Horrificator grow.

 _Control yourself. She feeds off of fear - even mine. Don't let her grow._

Ladybug straightened her shoulders and looked Horrificator straight in the eye. "I'm not scared of you, if that's what you're thinking."

Horrificator roared again, and Ladybug dodged another tail swipe.

 _I need a plan_ , Ladybug thought. She scanned the courtyard again. What could help her?

Ladybug swung her yo-yo and wrapped it around the railings on the other side of the courtyard. With a tug, she was in the air, with Horrificator in her path. She slammed both feet into Horrificator's chest, causing the akuma victim to top backwards and fall down.

Horrificator roared as Ladybug landed on the hallway.

Ladybug's ankle screamed in pain, and she made a mental note to start kicking things with her good foot only.

Peering over the edge of the railing, Ladybug watched Horrificator struggle to stand up. Once she was on her feet again, Horrificator turned to Ladybug and roared in her direction.

Now, for her plan.

Which was cut off when something went thunk in the direction of the locker rooms.

Horrificator gave Ladybug the stink eye before bounding off in the other direction.

"She must be going after the rest of the class," Ladybug realized.

Disregarding her plan, Ladybug used her yo-yo to swing back into the courtyard and chased after Horrificator.

* * *

Adrien had his chance to sneak off. He began sliding in the direction of the bathrooms when he noticed Alya peaking out of the door.

"Alya!" Adrien abandoned his wall position and walked up behind Alya. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Alya demanded. "I'm getting video."

"You're going to get us all killed," Chloe added, walking up next to Adrien. She grabbed Alya's shoulder and tried to pull her back from the door.

Alya pushed Chloe's hand away. "Don't touch me."

"Don't get us all killed!" Chloe replaced her hand and tugged Alya harder.

Alya snarled and stood up. "Ladybug can handle this."

Chloe huffed. "I know that."

"Let's not make her job any harder," Adrien interjected. "Alya, please close the door. Please."

Alya deflated and closed the door. But, despite her gentle movement, the door banged shut.

The whole class winced as one being.

"Great," Chloe complained. "Now she definitely knows where we are."

"What are we going to do?" Kim asked.

"Stay calm," Adrien said.

"How?" Alix demanded. "There's a slime monster chasing us!"

"Uh, maybe sing a song?" Adrien suggested. "That's supposed to calm us down."

"Good idea," Alya replied.

"Not happening," Chloe added.

"We're doing this," Alya decided.

"But what song?" Nino asked. "I doubt we all have the same music tastes."

"You're the DJ, Nino," Adrien said. "You pick."

"Okay," Nino replied. "How about something like... the national anthem?"

Chloe scoffed. "Seriously?"

"Good enough for me," Alya said. "Alright everybody."

 _"Allons enfants de la Patrie."_

* * *

 **More Horrificator soon to come!**


	28. Chapter 28: Horrificator, Part 3

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Horrificator, Part 3**

Ladybug tilted her head. Did she hear singing?

She listened to the sound. It was out of tune and only vaguely resembled song, but her classmates were definitely singing - and hopefully it would be enough to keep them calm.

As Horrificator bounded towards her classmates, Ladybug did her best to keep up despite her bad ankle. Meanwhile, her classmates singing became louder and clearer.

 _"Aux armes, citoyens,_

 _"Formez vos bataillons."_

Horrificator screeched and shrunk, and Ladybug couldn't help but grin. She'd have to make sure to compliment the class as Ladybug.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo and wrapped in around Horrificator's body, but the yo-yo just cut through the slime and slid off. The door burst open as Horrificator bounded into the locker room. The song broke off for a moment, but Alya and Adrien restarted singing almost immediately.

 _"Qu'un sang impur."_

The class started again, and Horrificator visibly shrunk.

"Good work!" Ladybug called. Alya beamed at the compliment.

Horrificator roared, and swung its tail around the room. Alya and Nino kept singing, but the rest of the class shrieked and dove for cover. Horrificator neither grew nor shrunk, so Nino, Alya, and Juleka must have been enough to balance out the rest of the class.

Horrificator grabbed Kim and Chloe with her tail and shrieked again. She bounded off, and Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around one of her legs and let Horrificator drag her.

But Horrificator didn't like being a horse, and she used her tail to whack Ladybug off. She skidded across the courtyard, catching herself and standing back up. With Chloe and Kim still caught in her tail, Horrificator turned to Ladybug. Seeing the chance to return to her earlier plan, Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around the railing and pushed off the ground.

Horrificator roared and spat another clump of goo at Ladybug while she was mid-air, and Ladybug was thrown upwards.

Ladybug collided with the goo that covered the top of the courtyard. The goo melded together, trapping Ladybug in the air.

Horrificator roared again and ran off. Ladybug's earrings beeped again, warning her that she needed to escape. But with her lucky charm used, she was out of options.

Out of the corner of her eye, something black started to spread - Chat Noir's cataclysm.

The goo surrounding the school and Ladybug dissolved, and Ladybug was released from the sky. A silver line passed by the edge of her vision, and Chat Noir appeared just in time to catch her.

"Perfect timing," Ladybug said.

"Thanks." Chat Noir let Ladybug down. "Sorry I took so long. The Unclocker's powers were keeping me from sneaking away to transform."

"I had the same problem with Gamer," Ladybug replied. "I have to recharge. Can you handle Horrificator while I'm gone?"

Chat Noir nodded. "Don't worry. She's no match for this cat. I'll get the students out as well."

Ladybug nodded and ran off, earrings beeping once again in her ears. She darted outside of the school and hid behind a street pole. Her transformation faded, and Marinette collapsed behind the pole.

"That was close." Tikki nodded. "Good thing you can always count on Chat Noir!"

"I don't know what I would do without him." Marinette check her bag. "I don't have any food for you. I'll have to find some."

* * *

Chat Noir opened the door to the locker room.

"Chat Noir!" Nino yelled, raising up his phone.

"The slime that was trapping you is no longer a problem," Chat Noir announced. "Everybody needs to get out."

"My buddy was taken," Nino said. "Adrien."

"And Kim," Alix added.

Chat Noir nodded. "I know, I'll save them. But you need to get out." He looked at Alya. "All of you."

"I'll make sure everyone gets out," Alya said. "You handle Horrificator."

Chat Noir nodded. "I'll get your friends to safety. Don't worry." With a salute, he left his classmates and started after Horrificator.

As Chat Noir tracked the slime away from the locker rooms and through the courtyard, his ring beeped, reminding him he would need to destransform soon too. But first, he had to keep Horrificator occupied so his classmates could get to safety.

The slime led to the same basement as before.

Chat Noir extended his baton and creeped into the room. Horrificator was just moving from a bubble of slime, where either Chloe or Kim was now stuck.

"Mylene!" Chat Noir called. "Let them go!"

Horrificator roared and bounded over to Chat Noir. She swung her tail, and Chat Noir easily ducked. He raised his baton and spun it, deflecting a blast of slime.

His wrist burned from the motion, but he ignored the pain.

He had harder time ignoring the beep from his ring.

Chat Noir couldn't help but feel a little fear at the warning, and Horrificator grew a size. She roared, blasting Chat Noir with stinky breath.

Chat Noir made a point out of gagging, but Horrificator ignored the gesture.

Horrificator swiped with her tail again, forcing Chat Noir to move from his spot and into the room. She blasted him with goo, and he shielded himself with his baton.

Chat Noir's ring beeped again as he and Horrificator circled each other. She swiped her tail, and Chat Noir jumped over and landed in time to block another blast of slime.

As Chat Noir circles back to his original position, his ring beeped again, for the last time. He had seconds to get out of there before he transformed back.

* * *

 **No, I am not cackling while leaving you guys on a cliffhanger. It's a cough, I swear.**

 **Okay, maybe I am cackling. Cliffhangers are fun on this side of them.**


	29. Chapter 29: Horrificator, Part 4

**Yes, autocorrect. I know Horrificator isn't a word. Or Marinette. They're names. Please stop it with the red wavy lines already.**

 **Disclaimer: I am only doing this for the learning experience of writing, formatting, and publishing a multi-chapter story. Oh, and to shut the plot bunnies up. I make no claims to the world represented herein.**

* * *

 **Chapter 29: Horrificator, Part 4**

Marinette may have been exhausted, and she may have had an injured ankle that could no longer withstand any weight, but she refused to let that slow her down.

She timed herself. It took her four minutes and fifteen seconds to retransform and get back to the school.

Ladybug raced through the school, glad to see her classmates evacuated safely, and tracked the slime back to the basement of the as she turned the corner, she heard Chat Noir's ring beep.

Reacting as fast she could, Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Chat Noir's torso and yanked him back through the hallway. He disappeared behind the corner almost immediately, already beginning to glow green, and Ladybug turned to face Horrificator.

Horrificator swiped her tail, and Ladybug rolled out of the way. She came up on the opposite side of the room, keeping Horrificator's focus away from the hallway where her partner was detransformed.

Ladybug scanned the room, searching for something to help. She had to figure out some way to neutralize the slime so she could reach the akuma.

Horrificator blasted more slime at Ladybug, and Ladybug spin her yo-yo to shield it away.

Ladybug ducked under another tail swipe and wrapped her yo-yo around Horrificator's legs. With a tug from Ladybug, Horrificator's legs were pulled out from underneath her and she slammed into the ground onto her back.

Horrificator roared and rolled over to her stomach, but Ladybug kept her yo-yo tight enough to keep her from standing up.

Horrificator looked back at the superhero and roared.

"Yeah, yeah," Ladybug replied. "You've said that already."

Horrificator swung her tail low, but Ladybug jumped over it and landed on her good ankle.

The tail kept moving, and a second too late Ladybug realized her yo-yo was moving with it. She was yanked off her feet and she slammed into the concrete wall.

Ladybug retracted her yo-yo, and Horrificator stood to her full height again. A smile crept onto her face as Ladybug noticed that her opponent had shrunk during her time on the floor.

"Looks like you're running out of fear to feed off of, Horrificator!" Ladybug called.

Horrificator roared and sent another blast of goo that Ladybug easily blocked.

Ladybug's focus drifted from Horrificator to a shelf on the opposite wall, and a plan began to form.

Her thought process was cut off when Horrificator's tail slammed into her and shot her back across the room. Ladybug easily rolled onto her feet, but was hit again by a blast of goo, sticking her to the wall.

Horrificator roared again as she approached the trapped superhero. With her back turned to the hallway, she had no chance to see an approaching figure in black.

Ladybug grinned as Chat Noir's baton rammed into the hardened slime, freeing Ladybug from the wall. Landing with a roll and coming up with her weight on her good leg, Ladybug watched as Horrificator turned to Chat Noir and roared.

"You need breath mints," Chat Noir complained, making face.

"Good timing," Ladybug called.

Chat Noir gave her his unique grin before ducking under a tail swipe from Horrificator, and he stepped away right next to the shelf where Ladybug's plan rested.

Ladybug started to spin her yo-yo. "Chat Noir, behind you!"

Chat Noir took a quick glance behind him, quickly finding the shelf, and extended his baton to smash it from the wall.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo, cutting two bags of water softener salt open.

Chat Noir spin his baton to deflect the salt towards Horrificator. As the salt made contact with the slime, Horrificator slowly started to shrink.

The goo surrounding the girl became water, and it wasn't long before a small but still pink girl was curled up on the floor.

Ladybug took a breath of relief before walking up to her classmate. She easily removed the pin and snapped it into two.

* * *

 **Big shout out to my mom who was a great idea bouncer for this chapter!**


	30. Chapter 30: Copycat, Part 1

**I just realized how long its been since I updated. Sorry! Sorry sorry sorry sorry!**

 **Disclaimer: see last chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 30: Copycat, Part 1**

Adrien was not looking forward to this one.

Sure, Copycat wasn't the most powerful akuma, nor did he slam Chat Noir into the walls multiple times, but he was a villain that Adrien was personally responsible for. And, being human, Adrien did not like coming face to face with his failures.

But at the same time, he needed a break from being slammed into walls or blasted off of towers, so he figured Copycat would be a good break physically. It had even been him who had suggested it.

When the winds died down, Adrien found himself in his room in the middle of searching his gym bag. Plagg immediately dived for the stash of cheese.

"We should get going," Adrien said. "Catch Copycat before he has a chance to frame me. Plagg-"

"Plagg's not home," Plagg croaked. "Please leave a message."

Adrien sighed. "I guess you've earned some cheese. Just be quick."

* * *

"Why am I holding _Adrien's_ phone?" Marinette squealed, dropping the phone on her bed.

"Because you stole it from his locker to delete an embarrassing voicemail," Tikki reminded her. "Which Alya will help you with later. Now we need to worry about Copycat."

"You're right," Marinette replied, swinging her legs off the bed and onto the floor. "I'll grab some food from the kitchen and we can eat next to the Louvre while waiting for Copycat and Chat Noir."

"Do you know how you're going to tell the difference between the two of them?" Tikki suggested.

Marinette groaned. "No. I guess I should have planned something out with Chat Noir beforehand. At least I know that the akuma isn't in the ring, so I won't be fooled into accidentally taking Chat Noir's miraculous."

"As long as you have a method, you'll be fine," Tikki said.

Marinette stood up, making sure her weight was on her good foot. "And if I get there soon enough, I can confront Copycat before he commits his theft and clear the air before the police try to arrest Chat Noir. Let's go."

Grabbing an umbrella to use as a cane, Marinette wobbled down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Marinette? Are you limping?"

Marinette froze in her spot and slowly looked to see her parents in the living room, watching her with concern. She quickly plastered on a smile.

"Oh, I just twisted my ankle," Marinette lied. "Going up the stairs to the roof. You know how clumsy I am."

"Well you shouldn't be walking on it," her mom said. "Come and lie down on the couch, dear. I'll get you whatever it was you needed."

Marinette's mom ushered her to the couch, making sure she propped her ankle up and that her pillow was comfortable.

"Now, what was it you were looking for?" Her mom asked.

"Oh, just a quick snack," Marinette replied. "I hadn't really decided yet. Maybe a croissant and a cookie?"

"One croissant with a cookie coming right up." Her mom pointed at her dad. "Don't let her get up."

 _Great_ , Marinette thought. _Just what I needed._

"Do you need a drink as well?"

 _Then again, this might be exactly what I need._

* * *

Chat Noir landed right behind Copycat, in the most dramatic fashion known to man.

The small crowd of civilians around the Louvre all portrayed various expressions of shock. Many started taking videos.

Chat Noir straighten up. "Nice try, Copycat. But the original is always better."

He extended his baton and spun it around a few times to prove his point.

Copycat turned around and extended his baton. "We'll see about that."

Metal against metal, the resulting clang of their batons colliding wasn't pleasant on the ears.

Chat Noir leaned into his attack, confident that now the playing field was even, he could hold his own against Copycat. He pushed his opponent's baton away and moved to strike again.

Copycat smacked his baton into Chat Noir's side, knocking the breath out of the superhero. Chat Noir barely had time to catch his breath before deflecting a second attack from Copycat.

Chat Noir pushed through, sending Copycat onto the pavement. Copycat rolled up onto his feet before Chat Noir had the opportunity to push his advantage.

Their batons collided again, and Chat Noir saw his own determined face reflected back at him.

Without letting his baton waver, Chat Noir swiped Copycat's feet from under him and sent his opponent into the pavement again.

Copycat rolled back onto his feet, panting heavy.

Chat Noir fell back into his fighting stance. "You're a terrible copy, Copycat."

Copycat grunted and charged again.

* * *

Marinette started the bath water.

"I hope this is enough to keep them satisfied," Marinette muttered. "I don't need them checking on me."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Tikki replied. "And now that we've both had plenty to eat, we'll be able to take on Copycat with no problem."

Marinette nodded. "Especially with this nice brace they found for me. I guess I'm lucky to have such caring parents."

"You are very lucky," Tikki agreed.

Marinette watched the bathtub fill up before stopping the water. She added a couple pumps of scented body wash to add another layer of deception.

"That's what makes it so hard to lie to them," Marinette said. "But I can't leave Chat Noir by himself. Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

 **More action to come!**


	31. Chapter 31: Copycat, Part 2

**I had intended this fight to last longer, but Copycat just wasn't cooperating.**

 **Disclaimer: see previous chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 31: Copycat, Part 2**

Chat Noir and Copycat both froze when the red figure landed on top of the Louvre.

Ladybug straightened up, looking over the area around her. Her eyes fell on Chat Noir and Copycat. Gracefully, Ladybug slid down the side of the Louvre, landing on the pavement in front of Chat Noir.

Chat Noir grinned.

"Good to see you again, my lady," Copycat said before Chat Noir could open his mouth.

"Don't let that fool you," Chat Noir replied. "You know me better than that."

Ladybug blinked. "You both sound exactly the same."

Her eyes looked over Chat Noir, pausing briefly at his face, and then Copycat. She shifted her focus back to Chat Noir, and then sighed.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Ladybug said. "I apologize for this in advance."

Quick as lightning, Ladybug reached out and grabbed onto Chat Noir's wrist and Copycat's wrist and yanked up hard on both. Chat Noir hissed as pain shot up his arm. Copycat just looked confused.

"Sorry," Ladybug apologized as she pulled Chat Noir behind her and faced Copycat. She pulled something out of her yo-yo.

"Its fine," Chat Noir replied, rubbing his wrist. "Just glad that you figured it out early this time."

"You're wrong," Copycat stated. "I'm Chat Noir. He's the copycat."

Something glistened in Ladybug's hand as she brought it to her mouth. "I don't think so."

Ladybug blew, and a cloud of blush hit Copycat right in the face, coloring him pink. Copycat coughed and glared at Ladybug.

"You're act is over, Copycat," Ladybug announced. "Give it up."

Copycat growled. "I'm not done yet."

He planted his baton into the ground and extended it, raising him above the two superheroes.

"What is he doing?" Ladybug asked.

"I don't know," Chat Noir replied. "And I don't really want to find out. Need a lift?"

Ladybug let Chat Noir lift her into the sky as Copycat jumped from his baton onto the Louvre.

"There's a lot of people beneath me," Copycat called, raising his wrist. "Give me your miraculous or this will turn into a catastrophe."

"I don't think so," Ladybug muttered, swinging her yo-yo.

"Cataclysm!"

Ladybug's yo-yo wrapped around Copycat's wrist and yanked him off the Louvre. He swung down next to Chat Noir's baton, scowling.

Copycat swung towards the baton, grabbing it with his hand. The cataclysm spread up and down the baton, weakening it. The baton collapsed, sending Chat Noir, Ladybug, and Copycat towards the ground.

Ladybug retracted her yo-yo and swung it towards the Louvre, and the yo-yo wrapped around the top. She grabbed Chat Noir and they swung down gently towards the ground. Copycat fell less gently next to them, but was on his feet within seconds.

"That shouldn't be possible," Chat Noir complained, looking at the broken remains of his baton. "That should not be possible."

Ladybug put her hand on Chat Noir's shoulder. "You can argue what is and isn't possible later. Right now we need to focus on Copycat."

"You're right." Chat Noir gave the remains one last glare. "What now?"

"Now," Ladybug replied. "We grab his miraculous."

Copycat grinned and extended his baton. "Good luck."

Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Copycat's legs and pulled him in feet first. Copycat retaliated by extending his baton in her direction, hitting her bad ankle through sheer luck. Ladybug winced and retracted her yo-yo, her face scrunched up in pain.

Chat Noir stomped on Copycat's baton, intending to reach down and claim the weapon for himself. Copycat stood up abruptly and pulled the baton up with him, and Chat Noir nearly lost his balance.

Chat Noir grabbed the baton with his good hand just as it began to shrunk, and tugged at it. Copycat grimaced and countered the pull. With both hands on the baton, Copycat won the tug-of-war and Chat Noir was pulled in towards Copycat.

Chat Noir landed on his stomach at Copycat's feet, and a second later felt the baton push against his back.

"Now, you're miraculous," Copycat demanded.

Chat Noir twisted his body around and swiped Copycat's legs from under him, just as Ladybug's yo-yo wrapped around his arms. Copycat lost his balance, dropped his baton, and was yanked towards Ladybug.

Chat Noir grabbed the baton as he rolled onto his knees. He walked up to where Copycat was face-down in the ground and held the baton at his back, keeping him from moving.

"You're a horrible copy, you know," Chat Noir stated.

Copycat grunted. "I'm still better than you. You don't appreciate what you have."

Chat Noir winced. "Yeah... I was actually lying when I said Ladybug and I were a thing. I was just jealous, and I'm sorry for that. But I do appreciate what me and Ladybug have, even if we're not as close as I'd like."

Ladybug smiled. "I appreciate our partnership too, Chat Noir. Now, let's finish this."

Chat Noir leaned down, plucked the picture out of Copycat's pocket, and tore it in two.

* * *

 **One more chapter and then we get to a really interesting fight...**


	32. Chapter 32: Pixelator

**Shorter chapter, just getting Pixelator out of the way.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Miraculous Ladybug,_ which unfortunately means I haven't seen all of season 2 yet. **

* * *

**Chapter 32: Pixelator**

Adrien grabbed Chloe's wrist.

"Don't," he said. "I think he's an akuma."

"Puh-lease," Chloe replied. "I think I can handle this."

Adrien sighed and watched Chloe approach Pixelator. He'd already been stuck behind the front counter of the hotel long enough to fall asleep twice, and he didn't want to get stuck with Chloe in a vast, digital expanse of nothing.

Chloe posed and Adrien watched as she disappeared in a flash. She'd be safe, if inconvenienced, as long as Ladybug and Chat Noir did their jobs. Adrien ducked behind the front counter as Pixelator continued to the elevator.

"If we hurry up, we can have this finished in a flash," Adrien said.

"Wouldn't that be nice," Plagg replied.

"Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

Ladybug leaned against the wall, taking a moment to relax. Pixelator was taking his time, leaving Ladybug plenty of time to feed Tikki, transform, and grab a sandwich. Now she was sitting in front of Jagged Stone's hotel room, waiting for Pixelator to show up.

The elevator dinged, and Ladybug shot to her feet.

"Ladybug!" Pixelator exclaimed. "What a pleasure it is to see you up and close. I am one of your biggest fans."

"I'm honored," Ladybug replied. "But I'm afraid I have to cancel the photo shoot."

"That's really a shame." Pixelator put his finger on his glasses. "The lighting is so good in here. Why don't you go ahead and strike a pose so I can get a good shot of you?"

"No thank you." Ladybug swung her yo-yo and wrapped it around Pixelator's hand, yanking his hand away and causing him to stumble forward. Pixelator pressed the side of his glasses with his other hand, forcing Ladybug to dodge to the side. She retracted her yo-yo and jumped backwards as another blast hit the ground.

"I'll be honest here and say I don't have time for this," Pixelator admitted.

"Funny," Ladybug replied. "Neither do I."

She swung her yo-yo and wrapped it around Pixelator's forehead, covering his glasses.

Pixelator grabbed at her yoyo's string and scooted them up an inch, only revealing the bottom half of his glasses. It was enough, and Ladybug was forced backwards as Pixelator fired.

She yanked her yo-yo, causing Pixelator to stumble forward and throwing of his aim, but it didn't last long. Pixelator finally shook loose of the yo-yo, and Ladybug retraced the string.

Jagged Stone's assistant banged open the door. "What is all the racket? Mr. Stone is trying to relax."

"Ma'am, please-" Ladybug began, but Pixelator had already snapped his picture. The assistant disappeared into pixels.

Pixelator grinned. "Now, for Jagged Stone's photo shoot..."

Ladybug tossed her yo-yo. "You're not done with mine yet."

The yo-yo wrapped around Pixelator's legs, and Ladybug yanked his feet from under him.

Pixelator hit the floor. "I guess not."

He turned, and before Ladybug could react, snapped a picture. At that exact moment, something rammed into Ladybug's feet, and she fell backwards, diving right under the stream of pixels.

Ladybug groaned as she hit the floor, and a second later Chat Noir's face appeared her own.

"Sorry about that," Chat Noir said. "I couldn't think of anything else quick enough."

"It's fine," Ladybug replied. "Just wish the floor was a little softer."

Chat Noir chuckled and helped Ladybug up. Ladybug glanced over her shoulder where the crazed fan was. And Pixelator was gone.

"He must already be in the hotel room," Ladybug said, retracting her yo-yo. "We need to get in there."

Ladybug and Chat Noir ran into the hotel room just as Fang vanished into a stream of pixels.

"Fang!" Jagged Stone cried.

"Don't worry Mr. Stone," Ladybug said. "We'll get you your Fang back."

"I highly doubt that," Pixelator said, turning around.

Something caught Ladybug's eye in the side of the room, almost like a lucky charm moment.

"Chat Noir, get Jagged Stone out of here," Ladybug said.

Chat Noir nodded and dove for Jagged Stone, barely sliding under a shot from Pixelator. Ladybug hit Pixelator's hand, and he turned to her.

"Hey, Pixelator!" Ladybug called. "You want a picture of me? Fine."

Pixelator raised an eyebrow. "How kind of you." He reached up to take a photo.

"But wait!" Ladybug said. "The lighting here isn't good. Let's see..." Ladybug positioned herself just as Chat Noir and Jagged Stone disappeared out the window.

"There we go," Ladybug admitted, striking a pose.

"Beautiful." Pixelator raised his hand. "Say cheese."

Click.

"How about gotcha?"

Ladybug ducked, and the pixels slammed right into the mirror behind her and bounced back.

The stream hit Pixelator, and he vanished. The glasses clattered in the floor.

"So much for bad luck," Ladybug said, stepping on the glasses. The winds picked up.

* * *

 **The next akuma will be putting up quite a fight.**


	33. Chapter 33: Rogercop, Part 1

**Finally, an akuma who can really put on a fight.**

 **Disclaimer: still don't own.**

* * *

 **Chapter 33: Rogercop, Part 1**

"Listen, I didn't steal your bracelet," Marinette said. She grabbed her backpack, giving Tikki time to slip out, and dumped its contents onto the floor. "Now, if we're done accusing each other with no proof, I need to use the bathroom."

Grabbing a croissant off of her father's tray, Marinette walked out of the classroom, leaving her stuff on the ground. She didn't have the time or the patience to deal with Chloe right now.

Marinette took a large bite out of the croissant and started down the stairs, trying to be as gentle as she could on her bad ankle. She had just made it to the courtyard when she heard Rogercop coming, and darted to a safe hiding place.

"I like akumas that take their time better," Marinette decided. "Looks like we'll have to dive right into this one. Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Plagg sneezed and the bracelet stayed on.

Adrien sighed. "That worked last time."

"Bad luck, remember?" Plagg asked. "I wouldn't be surprised if nothing gets this bracelet off."

"There has to be a way," Adrien decided. "Let's see..."

* * *

Ladybug dropped onto the hallway just as Rogercop began his threat.

She wrapped her yo-yo around Rogercop's arm and pulled. Rogercop turned and faced Ladybug, easily shaking the yo-yo off.

"Ladybug," Rogercop monotoned. "You are obstructing justice."

"This isn't about justice," Ladybug replied. "This is about revenge. You're above this, sir."

"I am not above justice," Rogercop replied. "I am justice."

Rogercop aimed and fired, and Ladybug leaped away from the handcuffs. Rogercop fired again, and again, and Ladybug continued to dodge.

"You're a good cop," Ladybug called. "And a good person. Don't let Hawkmoth change that."

Rogercop wavered, and Ladybug leaped over him and into the classroom.

"Chloe? I heard you had a problem?" Ladybug asked.

"Yes, yes I do," Chloe confirmed. "My bracelet was stolen."

"I'll help you find it," Ladybug said, grabbing Chloe by the arm and pushing her out of the classroom. With Chloe still in one hand, Ladybug leaped over the railing and landed on the courtyard below. She pushed Chloe out of the way of another pair of handcuffs and towards the bathroom.

"Here, have you checked your locker?" Ladybug asked.

"No, I-"

Ladybug shoved Chloe into her locker and locked her in there. "This is for your safety, trust me."

"I trust you, but-"

Ladybug ran out of the locker room in time to see Rogercop blast his way into the principal's office.

* * *

"Is that Chloe I hear?" Adrien wondered.

"I don't know, all I hear are people banging against lockers," Plagg replied.

Adrien sighed. "I have to get out there. Are you sure you can't just wiggle out of the bracelet?"

* * *

Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Rogercop's arm and pulled, which did absolutely nothing.

Rogercop spun, lifting Ladybug off the ground and sending her flying through the window in the back of the room. She landed roughly on the street below.

"Ow," she complained. "Was he this strong last time?"

Ladybug spun her yo-yo and wrapped it around something in the office, and with a small yank was off the ground and flying towards the school.

"You're not getting-" Ladybug started, but Rogercop had already left the room. Ladybug ran out of the room and leaped down into the courtyard, rolling into her landing to keep weight off her bad ankle. She wrapped her yo-yo around Rogercop's legs and pulled, but Rogercop didn't budge.

"You are annoying a police officer," Rogercop said. "That is also an offense."

"And you're annoying a superhero," Ladybug replied. "But I don't arrest people for that."

Rogercop fired and Ladybug dodged. Ladybug smacked her yo-yo on Rogercop's forehead, and slid closer to grab the whistle. Rogercop fired before she was successful and Ladybug rolled out of the way.

"There is no need for you anymore," Rogercop said. "Hand over your miraculous and you will no longer need to fight."

"No thanks," Ladybug replied. Rogercop fired and Ladybug slid under, bring her closer to the whistle. Rogercop grabbed her by the pigtails and tossed her out the school.

"Hey!" Ladybug complained, standing up. "The pigtails are off limits!"

* * *

"I said no water!" Plagg complained.

"But it worked," Adrien replied, placing the bracelet down. "Now, let's join the fight. Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Rogercop's torso and swung towards him, landing her good foot on his stomach. Her good ankle flared in pain, and Rogercop once again shook her off.

Rogercop fired, and Ladybug rolled out of the way. She deflected a pair of handcuffs with her yo-yo and dodged a third pair, trying to figure out a plan. Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Rogercop's neck and leaped, flying past him and pulling his neck with her. He still didn't move.

Ladybug slid as she landed on the street outside, and now both her ankles flared up in pain.

"Ladybug, you're time is up," Rogercop said.

"I still have a long way to go," Ladybug countered. "Lucky charm!"

"Did someone call for me?"

Ladybug giggled as Chat Noir landed behind her.

"Sorry I'm late," Chat Noir replied. "My kwami had an... interesting problem. So what's the plan?"

"Let's see." Ladybug inspected the lucky charm - a bottle of glue. "I think I have an idea. But it requires getting him to blow his whistle."

Chat Noir faltered. "Forgive me if I'm remembering wrong, but doesn't he only do that _after_ he's handcuffed somebody?"

Ladybug nodded. "But if he raises his whistle up, I can shoot this glue at it and it should stop up the whistle and keep him from using it to control the handcuffs. Then it doesn't matter if we get handcuffed."

Chat Noir sighed. "Sounds like a plan. I'll get him to use his whistle."

"I won't let him control you," Ladybug replied. "I promise."

Chat Noir smiled, nodded, and leaped up and over Rogercop. He landed and slid right under the school's entrance. Rogercop fired, and Chat Noir dodged the first couple of shots.

As Chat Noir dodged, he turned Rogercop around so Ladybug has a clear shot. Rogercop fired, and this time Chat Noir let him hit his target.

"Chat Noir, you have been judged guilty," Rogercop monotoned. "Hand over your miraculous."

Chat Noir snarled. "No thanks."

"It's not your choice." Rogercop brought the whistle up to his lips. Ladybug squirted the glue all over the whistle, and when Rogercop blew, nothing happened.

"Ladybug, you are-"

"Let me guess," Ladybug interrupted. "Obstructing justice? Well, I'm about to obstruct some more, and now you have no way of stopping me."

"We will see about that."

* * *

 **I have a feeling next chapter will provoke some interesting responses...**


	34. Chapter 34: Rogercop, Part 2

**I feel like I owe everyone two apologies. One for not uploading, and one for... well, you'll see.**

 **Disclaimer: do not own MLB. As in Miraculous Ladybug, not Major League Baseball. But really, I don't own either.**

* * *

 **Chapter 34: Rogercop, Part 2**

It was a brilliant plan. So why wasn't it working?

Rogercop threw Chat Noir backwards, and he slid on his back. By the time Chat Noir was on his feet again, Rogercop has blocked a hit from Ladybug and sent the superhero flying out of the school.

"I am the law," Rogercop droned. "I am unstoppable."

Chat Noir ignored the comment and attacked again, slamming his baton down onto Rogercop's head. Rogercop caught the baton and tossed it - and Chat Noir - into the wall.

"Ow," Chat Noir complained.

Ladybug landed back in the courtyard and slid to where Chat Noir had landed.

"We need a new strategy," Ladybug muttered. "He's too strong - none of our hits are landing."

"Maybe a cataclysm?" Chat Noir suggested. "Get him stuck like we did last time?"

Ladybug shook her head. "No... there has to be something else."

Rogercop thumped his way towards the superheroes.

"Give up," he monotoned. "You can never beat the law."

"As a superhero," Chat Noir responded. "I have met plenty of people who would argue with that."

"There is nothing to argue with," Rogercop countered.

Ladybug earrings beeped. "I don't have much longer." She looked at Chat with wide eyes. "Chat, when I transform the lucky charm will vanish."

Chat Noir rubbed the handcuffs on his wrists. "I'll be fine, my Lady. Just make it back quick."

"Don't worry," Ladybug replied. "I know you can handle yourself. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Ladybug elegantly leaped up onto the second floor and disappeared into a classroom, leaving Chat Noir and Rogercop alone in the courtyard.

Chat Noir grinned and extended his baton. "It's just you and me, clunky."

"The law is never clunky," Rogercop replied.

"Yeah, whatever." Chat Noir took a running start and leaped over Rogercop, using his baton to smack Rogercop's face mask. Rogercop grabbed the baton and tossed it - and Chat Noir - in the other direction. Chat Noir twisted and landed on his feet.

"Surrender," Rogercop said. "Hand over your miraculous."

"Never," Chat Noir replied.

Rogercop stepped forward and reached for Chat Noir, but the superhero easily rolled away. Rogercop turned, his robot parts squeaking, and moved towards Chat Noir.

Chat Noir tucked into a roll and came up right under Rogercop's nose. Chat Noir grabbed the whistle, but Rogercop grabbed his wrist and pain flared through his arm. Chat Noir let go of the whistle, and Rogercop dropped him onto the ground. Rogercop grabbed the whistle and held it up, and Chat Noir saw that the gum had vanished.

So did Rogercop.

"Your plan has failed," Rogercop said.

 _Cataclysm_ , Chat Noir thought, but shook the thought out of his head. If he was forced to detransform before destroying the whistle or the handcuffs, he would be doomed.

Rogercop put the whistle to his lips and blew. Chat Noir was jerked forward, so that he was kneeling at Rogercop's feet. Fortunately, he was able to hold onto his baton.

"It is over," Rogercop said. "The law is victorious."

Chat Noir gritted his teeth. "Not yet."

He angled his wrist and extended the baton, and the baton end hit Rogercop square in the nose. Rogercop stumbled backwards.

Chat Noir dug his heels into the ground and pulled on the handcuffs, but the only thing he accomplished was sending more pain down his wrist.

"The law cannot be injured," Rogercop said, even though his nose looked red. "And it cannot be defeated."

"We'll see about that," Chat Noir replied. He gave up on escaping the handcuffs, but he was determined to fight anyways.

Rogercop blew his whistle and Chat Noir was yanked forward again. As Chat Noir stumbled for footing, Rogercop reached for his ring. Somehow, Chat Noir managed to twist around and kick his arm, but his foot reflected off the metal arm harmlessly.

Chat Noir extended his baton. One end dug into the ground, and the other extended and hit Rogercop right in the shoulder. The initial blow didn't phase Rogercop, but with the baton secured in the ground he wasn't able to shake it loose.

Rogercop grabbed the baton in the middle and yanked up, and the baton came out of the ground. Rogercop tossed the baton away, and Chat Noir was left without a weapon.

"You are defenseless," Rogercop stated. "Surrender."

"I am not defenseless," Chat Noir argued. "I'm still armed with my wonderful sense of humor."

Rogercop blew his whistle, and Chat Noir was yanked forward again. Rogercop reached down towards Chat Noir's wrist, and Chat Noir clenched his fists to keep Rogercop from grabbing his ring.

Rogercop grabbed Chat Noir's fist and squeezed, causing pain to flare up in his fingers. Chat Noir didn't let go.

"Stop fighting," Rogercop said. "There is no longer any point."

"Actually, there is one," Chat Noir shot back.

And, as if they had coordinated the whole thing, Ladybug landed on the roof behind Rogercop and wrapped her yo-yo around Rogercop's two arms.

"It's called buying time," Chat Noir said.

Ladybug yanked up, moving Rogercop's arms away from Chat Noir and up into the sky.

"Ladybug," Rogercop said. "You will not defeat the law."

"We'll see about that," Ladybug replied. She leaped down the second floor and slid under the railing. With the string wrapped around the railing, her yo-to pulled up on Rogercop as Ladybug landed on the ground. Rogercop stumbled.

"I'll just take this," Ladybug said, walking up to Rogercop. She reached for the whistle, but Rogercop yanked his arms down, and the yo-yo pulled Ladybug back towards the wall.

Ladybug retracted her yo-yo and landed back on the ground, rubbing the back of her head where she had slammed against the wall.

Rogercop blew his whistle, and Chat Noir was yanked off the ground. The handcuffs pulled him up above the school.

"Surrender, Ladybug," Rogercop demanded.

Ladybug looked up at her partner, then down on the ground. A fall like that would hurt, but if she could get his baton to him...

"Never," Ladybug replied.

Rogercop blew his whistle, and the handcuffs holding Chat Noir up came off.

* * *

 **I promise it won't be forever until I update again!**


	35. Chapter 35: Rogercop, Part 3

**Did I really leave everyone on that cliffhanger? Oops...**

 **Disclaimer: I always feel the need to put something creative here. It never really happens.**

* * *

 **Chapter 35: Rogercop, Part 3**

The ground came rushing up towards Chat Noir.

Chat Noir twisted around so he falling stomach-first, hoping to slow his fall. A few seconds later and it paid off when his baton was thrown up to him.

He extended his baton and dug it into the ground, stopping his fall. His wrist cried out in pain from holding onto the weapon, but Chat Noir just gritted his teeth. He shrunk the baton and landed softly on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug asked.

"Fine. Where'd Rogercop go?" Chat Noir asked, looking around.

"He went out to his car," Ladybug replied. "If we hurry, we can catch him before he gets too high up."

"Then lets go."

Ladybug and Chat Noir leapt over the roof and vaulted onto Rogercop's car just as it was leaving the ground.

Chat Noir split his baton and stuffed one end into the exhaust port. The port sputtered, but the car didn't stop and the baton half flew out.

"I keep forgetting that what worked last time doesn't always work now," Chat Noir muttered.

Rogercop exited his car and, defying all the known laws of physics, stepped up onto the roof without falling down. Chat Noir extended the remaining half of his baton, and Ladybug spun her yo-yo.

"You are-"

"Obstructing justice," both Chat Noir and Ladybug finished at the same time.

"We've heard you," Ladybug said.

"But I think your meow is worse than your bite," Chat Noir added.

"The law does not meow," Rogercop replied. He raised his arms and fired a pair of handcuffs.

Ladybug grabbed Chat Noir and launched him off the car. She wrapped her yo-yo around the car and the two superheroes swung up onto the roof.

Ladybug landed on the car as Chat Noir used his momentum to kick Rogercop in the face.

As Chat Noir and Rogercop exchanged blows, Ladybug slid off the roof of the car again. She hung off the edge of the car about a foot down, and used her body to create enough momentum to swing to the driver seat's door. She opened to door and slipped into the driver's seat.

"Now let's see if I can make this work," Ladybug muttered. She tapped the steering wheel tentatively. "Here's for making an educated guess."

Ladybug tilted the steering wheel a little to the left, and the left side of the car dipped. She straightened up the steering wheel, reversing the effect.

"Alright, so that does that," Ladybug mumbled. "But I need to go up and down, not left and right."  
She glanced at the pedals underneath her, but they looked like a regular car. She pressed one, and the car sped up. When she pressed the other one, the car began to slow.

Ladybug groaned in frustration and hit the steering wheel. As she did so, the wheel moved away and the car turned downwards.

Ladybug grinned. "So that's how this works."

* * *

Chat Noir didn't have much space to work with, but he wasn't going to let that stop him.

Rogercop deflected his blow with enough force to send Chat Noir stumbling back to the very edge of the car, but Chat Noir rolled back into a standing position and readied himself for another attack.

The car dipped violently towards the ground, causing Chat Noir to slide forward while tipping backwards. Rogercop, of course, remained unaffected.

Rogercop turned his attention away from Chat Noir and kneeled down. He put one foot over the edge, and then awkwardly moved his entire body so that he was back in the car.

Chat Noir regained his balance and used his baton to open one of the back doors of the car. He slipped into the backseat just to see Ladybug's yo-yo hit Rogercop across his mask.

Ladybug and Rogercop were fighting for the driver's seat, and Rogercop was winning. Ladybug was barely holding onto the very edge of the driver's seat, but she had one whole shoulder and arm across Rogercop's torso, effectively blocking the steering wheel.

Chat Noir lurched forward and used one hand to extended his baton up and into Rogercop's nose and eye, and grabbed at the whistle with the other hand.

Rogercop reached out and yanked the steering wheel back, and Chat Noir felt gravity pull him back. He released his grip of the whistle but kept his arms around Rogercop's neck.

Ladybug kicked upwards, hitting Rogercop on the cheek where his mask ended. Rogercop's arm jerked towards Ladybug, causing Ladybug to slide off her seat and slam into the opposite door as the side of the car dipped.

Chat Noir twisted his body and slammed his heel into the steering wheel, and the car pitched downwards. It headed straight for the street below.

"Think it's time we abandoned ship, Chat Noir," Ladybug noted.

"Agreed," Chat Noir replied.

Snatching the whistle, Chat Noir threw his shoulder against the door and pushed it open against the wind. He leaped out into the wind just as the top of the car came into contact with the pavement.

Chat Noir and Ladybug both rolled into standing positions.

"Well, that takes care of that," Chat Noir noted, holding up the whistle.

Ladybug grinned. "Well done. Would you like to do the honors?"

Chat Noir dropped the whistle and stomped on it, and the winds immediately picked up around them.

"So, Chat, who do you think we should fight next?"

* * *

 **I know I said this last time, but I won't wait so long to update this time.**


	36. Chapter 36: Mime, Part 1

**I'm back! But I'm reaching finals now, so I might disappear again for a few weeks. But this story will not die!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Miraculous Ladybug._**

* * *

 **Chapter 36: Mime, Part 1**

Ladybug anxiously watched the horizon. She was not looking forward to this one. After her lucky charm had failed last time, she was even more nervous about facing down an akuma with The Unclocker's powers against her.

Her thoughts were distracted when a stray cat bumped into Alya's phone, and Ladybug once again had to dig around in the trash for it.

"Cats are nothing but trouble," Ladybug muttered, ignoring the sense of deja vu.

"I don't know about that, my lady," Chat Noir commented, landing next to Ladybug. "Any sign of the Mime yet?"

"Not yet," Ladybug replied, dropping Alya's phone back into the trash. "I wouldn't mind it if he took his time." The sentiment was ruined when a police car rammed into the wall. "Or not."

Ladybug and Chat Noir ran up to the police car, which didn't have the decency to land right side up this time, and helped Officer Raincomprex out.

"Are you okay, sir?" Ladybug asked.

"Yes," the police officer replied. "Thanks to you two."

"Ladybug?" Chat Noir said. "He's here."

Ladybug turned just as Mime aimed a bow. An invisible arrow thudded against the car, barely missing Ladybug.

Ladybug spun her yo-yo, deflecting the arrows. She swung it, wrapping it around the invisible bow, and yanked it out of Mime's hands.

Mime scowled. He mimed stepping up, sitting down, and revving an engine.

"We should move," Chat Noir noted.

The engine roared, and Ladybug and Chat Noir darted out of the way. Mime pretended to drive as he moved forward, and whatever vehicle he was in collided with the police car and sent the car flying.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo at Mime, and it caught his wrist. She yanked, and Mime was pulled toward her.

With his free hand, Mime mimicked a huge pair of scissors, and tried to cut the yo-yo's string.

Thankfully, the yo-yo string didn't cut, and all Mime managed to do was tumble to the ground as the invisible vehicle disappeared.

Chat Noir extended his baton and vaulted himself over Mime. He landed behind Mime and reached for the hat.

Mime mimicked launching a grenade, and Ladybug didn't have time to move before an explosion knocked her off her feet. She landed hard on her back.

Ladybug forced herself back up and retrieved her yo-yo.

Chat Noir was fighting Mime - baton against invisible sword. Ladybug was impressed that Chat Noir was keeping up, as tired as he had to be.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo, and Mime knocked it away with his invisible sword. Chat Noir took the opportunity to extend his baton towards the hat. Mime ducked just in time. He paused, then mimicked putting on a backpack, pushed a button where the strap would be, and lifted off.

"Is he using a jet pack?" Chat Noir asked. "That is so not fair."

"We need to follow him," Ladybug said. She swung her yo-yo, catching it on the invisible jet pack. "Need a lift?"

"If you would be so kind," Chat Noir replied.

She grabbed onto Chat Noir, and two were lifted off the ground.

Mime glanced behind him, and grimaced when he saw Ladybug and Chat Noir attached.

 _He can't do anything,_ Ladybug realized. _Or his jet pack will disappear._

She looked to Chat Noir. "I think we have him stuck."

Chat Noir grinned. "Then let's go get that hat."

The moment was ruined when Mime made another motion, and the three of them all began falling down.

"I spoke too soon," Ladybug noted. "I guess we need to prepare for a rough landing."

Chat Noir nodded and extended his baton. He tossed it toward the street, where it caught on the rooftops of the nearby buildings. Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around the baton, tightening it as they landed.

They stopped falling a good couple feet above the ground, and Ladybug slowly lowered them to the ground.

Mime fell a few yards in front of them, and hit something bouncy as he landed.

"It's over, Mime!" Ladybug yelled, swinging her yo-yo.

Mime mimed a wall in front of him, blocking Ladybug and Chat Noir from following him.

"Now we have to wait until he mimes something else," Ladybug muttered.

"Maybe not," Chat Noir noted. "We know where he's heading."

"You're right!" Ladybug agreed. "We need to find that bus."

* * *

The Unclocker paced as she waited.

"Patience," Hawkmoth reminded her. "Remember, soon none of this will have ever happened."

"Of course," The Unclocker replied. "You'll have your jewelry, and Paris will no longer have to put up with them or you."

"That's right," Hawkmoth agreed. "It's them who've drawn this battle out. If they'd given in long ago, Paris would be free of the constant disturbances."

"But if they won't give up, then we have to make it difficult for them to win," The Unclocker said.

"They still will," Alya called.

The Unclocker frowned and turned to her. "This time, maybe. Maybe next time. But they can't keep winning. They'll tire out, the Hawkmoth of that time will win, and I would never have had to deal with this brat-" she pointed dramatically at Chloe- "so it's a win-win."

"And what will today look like if Hawkmoth wins?" Alya questioned.

"Better," The Unclocker replied.

* * *

Ladybug saw the bus first.

"Good eyes, milady," Chat Noir noted. "Let's go get them out of harms way."

Ladybug and Chat Noir jumped from the roof, just to be knocked down mid-air by and invisible force.

Ladybug landed roughly on her arm, and was nearly hit by an oncoming car.

"Sorry, Ladybug!" The random citizen called.

"It's fine," Ladybug replied, pushing herself off the ground. She was surprised to find that she was soaking wet.

"He must be using a hose," Chat Noir said, appearing above the cars as he stood up. "You know, cats aren't a big fan of water."

Ladybug chuckled. "Don't worry. The water should dry the next time he mimes something. Right now, we need to focus on the bus."

"How about you go distract Mime and I'll get the bus to safety," Chat Noir suggested, shaking his head like a wet dog.

"I think you make a better distraction," Ladybug countered. "Don't worry, water won't hurt you."

Chat Noir sighed. "As you wish, milady." He extended his baton and vaulted towards Mime.

Ladybug turned her attention to the bus. "Let's see what challenges the acting troupe are going to give me."

* * *

 **Credit to my roommate for helping come up with ideas for this and the next chapter!**


	37. Chapter 37: Mime, Part 2

**100 followers on this story! I'm so grateful for everyone whose read this story!**

 **If you guys want, I'd be willing to give any prompts you'd want a shot - in this fandom, as well as Merlin, Percy Jackosm, Star Trek (except Discovery), Harry Potter, or Dcotr Who (no spoilers for 13th Doctor please). Consider it a thank you!**

 **Disclaimer: As a college student, if I owned _MLB,_ Season 3 would not have come out quite that soon. Not that I'm complaining.**

* * *

 **Chapter 37: Mime, Part 2**

Chat Noir landed behind the Mime, baton extended and ready for a fight. If he hadn't been soaking wet, he'd probably would have looked cool.

"You know, I was really looking forward to the play," Chat Noir commented.

Mime scowled and shot his hose towards Chat Noir. Chat Noir dodged the stream of invisible water, and extended his baton towards Mime.

Mime mimed a shield, and Chat Noir's baton collided with something solid. Chat Noir unextended his baton, then slid the end under Mime's arm and yanked his shield away.

Mime began miming something else, but Chat Noir didn't give him a chance. He extended his baton right into the supervillian's chest, knocking the Mime off his feet. His hat tumbled off his head as he hit the road.

"Maybe this will be easy after all," Chat Noir noted, extending the baton towards the hat.

Mime mimicked a wall in front of him, and Chat Noir's baton hit something solid once again. Mime lifted his hands up, mimed biting something, and the wall fell away.

Chat Noir's baton barely touched the hat when a grenade exploded in front of him. He was sent flying back, slamming into a building. His vision blurred for a second.

When his vision cleared, Mime was closing in. Chat Noir reached for his baton, and panicked when he realized it was halfway across the street.

 _Move_. Chat Noir pushed through the pain and launched himself across the street. Just as his hand closed around his baton, he felt something tug on his ankle.

The rope tightened, but Chat Noir used his enhanced balance and his tail to keep his balance. He twisted, grabbed the rope with his free - and unfortunately injured - hand and yanked as hard as he could. Mime's eyes widened as he lurched forward.

Chat Noir grinned. "Looks like two can play at this game."

* * *

Ladybug landed on top of the bus, leaned over the roof, and tapped on the door.

The troupe leader and bus driver gave her confused and concerned looks, but they let her in.

"Ladybug?" The leader asked.

"Your lead actor just got akumatized," Ladybug explained. "I need to get you to safety."

"Fred?" The leader said. "I knew he was upset, but-"

"It's my fault," the understudy piped up. "I told him to meet us at-"

The bus collided with something solid, sending everyone inside up to the front.

Ladybug pushed herself back up, ignoring the pain in her ankles. She turned to the shattered window to see what happened.

The bus had collided with two smaller cars, causing a car wreck in the middle of an intersection.

"Everybody okay?" Ladybug called. The troupe leader, bus driving, and understudy were all bruised and cut from the glass, but no one looked too badly injured.

"Go help them!" Another actor cried.

Ladybug launched herself through the broken window and checked the first car. The driver was fine, but trapped. She glanced at the next car, where the driver and passenger were looking at her expectedly.

If no one was in serious risk, then she should be able to leave them, right?

Ladybug dialed the police on her yo-yo. "There's a car wreck but I don't have time to deal with it." She hung up, knowing from experience that that was enough for the police, and paused with her yo-yo in her hand.

An idea that had been forming for a long time resurfaced, but Ladybug doubted she had time. How long could Chat Noir keep Mime busy?

 _It's probably better for him to fight Mime a little longer, than to have to keep fighting akumas over and over again_ , Ladybug realized. If this helps us...

* * *

Chat Noir sneezed, wishing Hawk Moth's memory hadn't improved so much. But no, Mime had to go and mime bread crumbs, and now he was being attacked by birds.

Chat Noir extended his baton. Blinded by his allergies, he was forced to make a wild guess where Mime was.

His baton hit something solid. The birds startled and flew off, making a ruckus and leaving feathers everywhere.

Chat Noir sneezed. Mime leaned over and mimed turning a faucet, and then grabbed something with his hand.

Chat Noir launched himself at Mime and slammed his baton into roughly where the imagined hose was. He leaned causally on his baton, watching Mime's frustration at the hose not working.

"You know, it looks like we're evenly matched," Chat Noir noted. "So how about we call it a tie and let it all go?"

Mime snarled. He mimed a large circle, and then plugging in a wire. He flipped a switch, and a mass of air slammed into Chat Noir. His torso ached as he hit a building full-force again.

Mime pulled at something with his teeth, and Chat Noir recognizes the gesture.

"Not again," Chat Noir decided. He split his baton and sent one half flying towards Mime.

The baton collided midair with something invisible, and the mimed grenade exploded - this time sending Mime flying backwards.

"Sorry about that," Chat Noir apologized, walking to where Mimes hat was rolling away. Before he reached it, it stopped at someone else's feet.

"And to think I was worried about you," Ladybug said, leaning down to pick up the hat. She grabbed the picture from its slot, and ripped it in two.

* * *

Alya rushed out of the building, her phone buzzing in her pocket. Who was calling her now?

Shooting a worried look back at the hostages she had left, Alya grabbed her phone and was surprised when an old notification came up, prompting her to check an old video.

Alya clicked on the video, and Ladybug's face appeared.

"Alya Cesaire, I need your help."

* * *

 **Thank you so much!**


	38. Chapter 38: Animan, Part 1

**Edit 12/30/2018: yeah, uhhh, sorry about that. My editing for this chapter was originally sub-par, especially that one part... (if you don't know what I'm talking about, nothing happened)**

 **Shoutout to my roommate for once again being an awesome person and helping get me pass writers block.**

 **Disclaimer: still don't own.**

* * *

 **Chapter 38: Animan, Part 1**

Ladybug watched Alya leave, hoping the message she left Alya would stick. She didn't know whether it even remained, or if everything went back to the original timeline.

Chat Noir winced, hurting from The Mime more than he was willing to admit. "Who do you think we should fight next?"

Ladybug frowned. Chat Noir needed a break, but she was starting to think leaving the most powerful akumas last was a mistake.

But still, if there was a chance to defeat The Unclocker, they'd need to save their strength.

"What about Animan?" Ladybug suggested, a plan already forming in her mind. "I have a secret mission for you."

* * *

"Earth to Marinette," Alya called. "You were in the middle of setting me up for a date against my will, remember?"

Marinette blinked. She had completely zoned out again, worrying about Chat Noir and her message to Alya. She forced herself to focus on Nino sitting next to her on the bench.

"He's coming!" Kim yelled from the distance.

Marinette grabbed Nino and pushed him away from the stampede. She sent him running and when he was out of sight, dove behind the bushes.

"Tikki, spots on!"

The transformation washed over her, and Ladybug turned her attention to the panther approaching.

Kim was backed up against the fence, sweating. The panther growled as he approached Kim.

"Hey kitty," Ladybug called, landing gracefully on her good ankle behind the panther. "You may be faster than a human, but are you faster than a bug?"

Animan turned to Ladybug and growled. Ladybug grinned, swung her yo-yo around top of a tall cage, and pulled herself off the ground.

"Catch me if you can!" She called over her shoulder.

Animan transformed, and Ladybug heard the call of an eagle behind her.

Ladybug perched on the top of the cage, watching Animan zoom towards her.

* * *

Chat Noir slurped his smoothie as he tracked the bus.

He could hear excitement below him as the escaped animals from the zoo began roaming the streets, but he trusted that the regular policemen could handle it. His job was the bus.

The bus stopped, and Chat Noir leaped from his perch on the roof to the top of the bus. He slid down, and tapped on the door of the bus. The driver opened the door, his eyes wide with surprise.

"I need you to drive to the stadium," Chat Noir said, sliding into the front seat of the bus. "We need the bus."

The driver nodded his head. "Anything else?"

Chat Noir nodded. "I need to know how to work the doors."

* * *

Ladybug looked around the sky, trying to figure out where Animan had hidden. After chasing her around the rooftops of Paris, he'd turned into something small - a gnat, she figured, or something close to a gnat - and now she couldn't see him.

She checked her yo-yo to see Chat Noir's progress. He was close to the stadium, hopefully with a bus in tow, where she was hoping to trap Animan. It didn't work the last time, but just maybe...

Someone screamed, and Ladybug whirled around to see the source. Behind her, a giant bird-looking thing that had to be the size of a giraffe was flying towards her.

"That's new," Ladybug muttered, jumping from her perch on an apartment building just as Animan flew over her.

She landed on the rooftop across the street and took off running, her yo-yo beeping her to confirm that Chat Noir had reached the stadium. The only problem was, there as no way to outrun Animan. Unless there was a way to use his size against him.

Gritting her teeth, Ladybug launched herself from the edge of the roof and crashed through a window on the top floor of the next building. The glass scraped across her skin, cuts burning from the pain, but she didn't slow down.

Ladybug didn't give herself a chance to see what Animan had transformed into as she darted through the apartment building. She jumped through another window to a balcony on the the next building, and broke through a glass door into another apartment.

"Ladybug!" Somebody called, pointing excitedly at Ladybug as she ran through the living room.

"Panther!" Someone else screamed.

Ladybug crashed through another window, and then another door, always aware of Animan just a few feet behind her. Both ankles were throbbing, and she was fully aware of a cut on her cheek that had began to bleed.

Another building, and a few panicked civilians. Another window, and glass nearly cut her eye. Her bad ankle was screaming in pain. She forced open a wooden door, ran down the hall, and crashed through another sliding door. Her throat was drying up, and her leg muscles were beginning to ache.

Another window, another building. A TV covering the loose animals. Out the window into another building. A dog barked as they ran by. Through a window and through a hallway, and Ladybug nearly tripped on the stairs.

Out the window, through a hallway, back up the steps, and through a skylight. Through a glass door into a pent house. Out a window and down onto a parking lot.

Ladybug landed on a car and looked up. The arena towered above.

Animan landed behind her in panther form, snarling. Ladybug barely spared him a glance before throwing her yo-yo and swinging to the top of the stadium.

"Imagine meeting you here," Chat Noir said, landing next to Ladybug.

"You have the trap ready?" Ladybug asked.

Chat Noir nodded. "Are you sure it will work this time?"

Ladybug nodded. "Trust me."

* * *

 **The giant bird is called a Quetzalcoatlus, which is extinct. More extinct animals to come!**


	39. Chapter 39: Animan, Part 2

_**Warning: large snakes involved. Proceed cautiously if you have a problem with snakes**_

 **I can't believe I haven't updated this all year!**

 **(Sorry. I just had to.)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Miraculous Ladybug,_ Batman, or Black Panther**

* * *

 **Chapter 39: Animan, Part 2**

"That's one large bear," Chat Noir noted as he dodged a swipe from Animan. "I would hate to see one of these in the wild."

"We need to get him into the bus!" Ladybug said.

"I'm not sure he'll fit!" Chat Noir replied.

Chat Noir rolled away from a swipe, and Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Animan's arms, trapping him. Animan roared, and then changed into a frog.

"Now!"

Ladybug and Chat Noir raced into the bus, followed by the frog. Chat Noir hit the close door button and he and Ladybug jumped out of the bus.

As the door closed, Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around the bus. "Let's see you try to break out of that."

"Brilliant plan, my Lady," Chat Noir replied.

Animan changed into an elephant, then a T-Rex, expanding the bus and tugging against the yo-yo without escaping.

"It's working!" Ladybug said.

"He'll tire out in no time," Chat Noir added.

Animan changed into a wooly mammoth, and the bus groaned under the strain. His tusks punctured the top of the bus.

"Oh no," Ladybug muttered. "He'll be able to escape through that hole!"

Animan changed again, and though he was showing exhaustion, he didn't hesitated after transforming into a butterfly. He flew out of the bus and, transforming again, landed on the ground as a panther.

"You really like cats, huh?" Ladybug noted.

"Can you blame him?" Chat Noir asked.

Animan growled and lunged at Ladybug, but she rolled out of the way. Chat Noir vaulted over Animan and landed next to her. Animan attacked again, and Chat Noir thrusted with his baton, catching Animan's mouth in the middle. Chat Noir pushed upwards, sending Animan backwards.

Animan growled and transformed, growing taller than Chat Noir or Ladybug.

"That is a huge bird," Chat Noir commented. "With a huge beak."

"At least it looks flightless," Ladybug added.

The bird pecked downwards, forcing the two superheroes to dodge. Animan pecked again, hitting Chat Noir on the rib and sending him backwards.

"Ow," Chat Noir commented as he stood up.

Ladybug launched herself upwards and wrapped her legs around the bird's massive body. She pushed herself up so that she was standing, and then moved forwards and sat on the bird's head.

"Can't bite me up here," Ladybug teased. She wrapped her legs around his beak.

As Animan tried to shake Ladybug off, Chat Noir made a dive for his front leg, where he wore the akumatized bracelet. His fingers scraped the object as Animan transformed again.

Ladybug yelped as she fell to the floor, but rolled in time to keep from landing harshly.

Animan growled as his transformation back to a panther finished.

Ladybug gritted her teeth. "I'm tired of panthers. Chat Noir, remember Mr. Pigeon?"

Chat Noir frowned. "Do you think that would work for a panther?"

"Only one way to know!" Ladybug swung her yo-yo, shielding her as Animan pounced again. Animan backed up and growled.

"All I'm finding are sports stats!" Chat Noir yelled. "And a theory about whether Batman or Black Panther would win in a fight."

Ladybug scowled. "That's not helpful."

Animan pounced again. Ladybug side-stepped the attack and swung her yo-yo. The string wrapped around the cat's torso.

Ladybug pulled, yanking Animan off his feet and onto the ground. Purple bubbles around Animan as he transformed again, and all but disappeared.

"I think he transformed into a gnat," Ladybug said. "We just have to wait for him to transform again."

Ladybug and Chat Noir backed up until they were standing back to back.

"Any idea where he went?" Chat Noir asked.

"Can't see - there!"

Out of seemingly nowhere, a large bat materialized. It flew at Ladybug and Chat Noir, forcing them to duck.

The bat circled in the air, transforming into an eagle. It flew at the superheroes again, scratching at Ladybug ear.

"Ow!" Ladybug yelped, bringing her hand up to her ear. It was bleeding.

Chat Noir sneezed. "Feathers? Again?"

Animan circled around and dove at them again. Chat Noir spun his baton, creating a shield that forced Animan off his path. Ladybug threw her yo-yo, wrapping it around Animan's leg. She pulled down, and the yo-yo began to slide the bracelet off.

Animan transformed again, disappearing, and her yo-yo collapsed to the ground.

"So close!" Ladybug recalled her yo-yo.

Purple bubbled in the sky as Animan transformed, and a 40-foot snake fell out of the sky.

Ladybug and Chat Noir dove out of the way as Animan fell to the ground. He hissed and turned to Chat Noir.

"Snakes should not be that big!" Chat Noir said, backing up.

Animan pounced, and Chat Noir dodged. Animan raised his tail and swiped it at Chat Noir, sending him a few paces backwards.

Ladybug scanned the snake, searching for the bracelet. It was hanging close to his head, almost like a necklace.

"We need to get close to the head!" Ladybug called.

"No thanks," Chat Noir replied.

Ladybug ran at the snake, landing next to his head with her feet on either side of him. She put one hand on his hand, and reached for akuma with the other.

Animan lashed with his tail, hitting Ladybug hard on her back and sending her across the field.

"Ladybug!"

"I'm fine." Ladybug stood up and grabbed her yo-yo, ready to rejoin the fight.

Chat Noir turned back to Animan just as he pounced. Animan knocked Chat Noir over, and then wrapped his massive body around him.

Ladybug circled around Animan so she was out of his line of sight. Chat Noir met her eyes and grinned.

"You know," he said to Animan. "You smell really badly."

"Give over your Miraculous," Animan replied.

"Don't you mean miraculoussssss." Chat Noir drew out the s, mimicking a snake.

Ladybug was two steps away. Cautiously, she took a step closer. And another step.

She was there.

"I could squeeze all that humor out of you easily," Animan replied.

"Dont you mean-"

"No I don't!"

Ladybug reached out slowly. Her fingers were inches away from the akuma.

And then, as fast as she could, she grabbed the bracelet, tore it off of Animan, and stomped on it.

The winds picked up again.

* * *

 **Facts: the large bear is called a Arctodus, the bird a phorusrhacid, and the snake a titanboa.**


	40. Chapter 40: Dark Blade

**I'm not dead! I promise!**

 **Still not mine**

* * *

 **Chapter 40: Dark Blade**

Chat Noir and Ladybug watched the chaos below them.

"All I'm saying is that Jagged Stone is right below us," Chat Noir argued. "And that we totally have time to grab an autograph."

"And all I'm saying is that we need to focus." Ladybug took another bite of her sandwich.

"We're superheroes," Chat Noir argued. "We can totally skip the line and we'll be back before Darkblade knights another person."

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "We have helped Jagged Stone before. I'm sure he would give you an autograph after this is over."

The two of them lapsed into comfortable silence as they are their sandwiches, drank their water, and watched Dark Blade march towards city hall.

"Do you have a plan yet?" Chat Noir asked.

"The most important part is not letting him place his flag," Ladybug said. "One of us needs to defend the flagpole while the other takes on Dark Blade."

"I'll take on Dark Blade," Chat Noir offered. "I've been practicing my fencing." He mimed a few fencing moves. Ladybug rolled her eyes, trying to keep a smile from sneaking up on her lips.

Chat Noir finished off his water bottle, and tossed it down onto a trashcan on the street below. The bottle landed easily into the trash.

"Feeling refreshed enough for another battle?" Ladybug asked.

"Good as new."

* * *

Dark Blade marched up to the city hall, and Ladybug and Chat Noir dropped in front of him.

"Cometh to vow thy loyalty?" Dark Blade asked.

"Just remember, before you go turning us into knights," Ladybug replied. "Knights don't wear earrings."

"What is thou point?" Dark Blade asked.

"She means that if you want any hope of taking our Miraculouses," Chat Noir explained. "You can't knight us."

"Then I will defeat thy in the olde fashion way!" Dark Blade declared.

"I'm pretty sure that's not the - never mind." Chat Noir extended his baton. "I just hope you can see through that helmet."

"Charge!"

The knights behind Dark Blade charged. Ladybug spun her yo-yo and caught it around a knight's sword. Chat Noir deflected a blow and pushed a knight out of his way. He ducked under another attack, then dodged another, making his way to Dark Blade.

Dark Blade knighted two cars, turning them into catapults. "On me! Let us raiseth my flag!"

Ladybug looped her yo-yo around the flagpole and pulled herself up, ready to meet the first knights to make it to the roof.

"Not so fast Dark Blade!" Chat Noir called. "You still have yet to beat your challenger."

"Are you Bourgeois's champion?" Dark Blade asked. "Do you dare challenge me?"

"Kinda and yes," Chat Noir answered. "En Garde!"

"Pret!" Dark Blade replied.

"Allez!"

* * *

The first guard made it to the roof with a thud. Ladybug easily kicked him back off, trusting that the magical armor would keep the innocent civilian safe.

Another guard, and Ladybug smacked him with her shoulder, and he stumbled off the roof.

Two more guards collided with a wall, and third one over shot Ladybug. Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around his ankle and used his momentum to swing him around and send him back off the roof.

Two more knight landed on the roof. Ladybug slid under the legs of one and wrapped her yo-yo around his torso. She kicked him in the knees, bringing him down on her, and then kicked him off and sent him off the roof. She dodged a sword strike from the other knight and swiped his legs out from under him. He toppled off the roof.

Two more knights. One fell off the roof by himself, and Ladybug kicked the other one off easily.

Two by two, more guards landed on or near the roof, and Ladybug sent them back down. She glanced off the edge of the roof to get a glance of how Chat Noir was doing.

* * *

Chat Noir blocked the blow, and returned the strike.

He was fencing with his non-dominant hand, which wasn't helping anything. His other wrist was too injured to use.

He stepped into a strike and smacked Dark Blade in the neck, stepping back again before Dark Blade could retaliate.

"Thou are a talented opponent," Dark Blade noted. "Who teaches thee?"

 _Oh, the irony._

"I'm self-taught," Chat Noir lied, countering another attack.

"My father taught me," Dark Blade said. "Though I am finding it much easier with these powers I have been so generously given."

"Good thing you aren't the only super-powered fencer around." Chat Noir lunged, the end of his baton smacking Dark Blade in the chest, sending him back a few paces.

"Not super-powered enough!" Dark Blade replied, striking forward and hitting Chat Noir hard on the shoulder.

Chat Noir stumbled backwards, readjusted his grip, and lunged again.

* * *

Ladybug swung another knight off of the roof and dodged as a second knight slashed at her.

Ladybug looked down to where Chat Noir was recovering from a blow to his shoulder. She eyed the guard advancing on her.

"I think it's time to kill two birds with one stone."

Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around the Knight and launched him off the roof. He fell through the air and landed on Dark Blade.

"Nice aim!" Chat Noir called.

"Thanks!" Ladybug replied. "Grab his sword!"

Ladybug watched as Chat Noir grabbed the sword and smashed it on the ground. It didn't break.

He tried it again, and again. The third time the sword chipped, but it was enough for the winds to pick up again.

* * *

Alya grinned as her search finally revealed results.

She opened up her phone and texted the name to the number Ladybug had left her.

Alya hit send, and turned her attention back to her computer. Now, who was Adeline Droz?

* * *

 **Yeah, my old English is horrible. But at least my modern English is pretty good - most of the time.**


	41. Chapter 41: Antibug, Part 1

**Disclaimer: don't own Miraculous Ladybug**

* * *

 **Chapter 41: Antibug, Part 1**

"Adeline Droz," Ladybug read. She and Chat Noir glanced at The Unclocker, seeing if she was listening in.

"I don't know the name," Chat Noir said. "But if there's a way to find her in the past..."

"That's what I'm hoping," Ladybug admitted.

"But we don't even know if what happens in the past affects the present," Chat Noir replied. And then he grinned. "Except that Alya responded to something sent from the past. Thats brilliant."

"I have a way to further test out the theory," Ladybug added. "Vanisher."

Chat Noir nodded. "Of course. What happened there influenced Antibug."

"If we're able to affect Antibug, then maybe we can prevent The Unclocker from even being akumatized."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Chat Noir replied.

Ladybug turned to The Unclocker. "We choose to face Vanisher."

The Unclocker tilted her head. "Is there a particular reason? It sounded like the two of you were scheming."

"I'm not telling you," Ladybug replied.

"Then no." Realization flashed across The Unclocker's face. "Oh? You want to see - I understand what you're doing. It won't work - not that you'd have a chance to try. Now, you'll face Antibug, and _then_ you can face Vanisher."

The winds picked up again.

* * *

Well, shoot.

The Unclocker had caught their plan. Now they didn't have a plan to fight Antibug, and Ladybug has been forced to detransform almost immediately, leaving Chat Noir by himself.

 _Delay her_ was all she could say before running off. Chat Noir watched the roof of the hotel, wondering how he was supposed to do that, especially with a sore arm and injured wrist.

 _This is Chloe. I've known her for most of my life. If there's anyone who can delay her, it's me._

Ignoring his aching arm, Chat Noir extended his baton and rose up to the roof. He landed, turning Antibug's attention to him.

"Chat Noir," Antibug greeted. "Where's Ladybug?"

"Busy," Chat Noir replied. "I figured the two of us could talk."

"I have nothing to say to a sidekick," Antibug hissed.

"How about a fan?" Chat Noir said.

"A fan?" Antibug visibly lowered her defense.

Chat Noir nodded. "Of course, I'm a fan of Chloe Bourgeois. Not Antibug."

Antibug stammered. "Well, I'm not her anymore. But still, wh-why did you like her?"

"Because she had no time for anyone else," Chat Noir said, thinking fast. "And she never let anyone tell her what to do. Or so I thought."

"What changed your mind?" Antibug asked.

"Well, you're taking orders from Hawkmoth now, aren't you?"

Antibug scoffed. "No I'm not. We're... more of a team. Two people with a similar grudge."

"And if you disagreed with him, what do you think would happen?" Chat Noir questioned. "If you said no, do you think he'd accept it?"

"Does it matter? I'm not going to."

"Don't want to risk your powers?" Chat Noir asked. "That's not the Chloe I know. She didn't need powers."

"I'm not Chloe," Antibug rebutted.

"Sounds like a demotion to me."

Antibug huffed and stomped her foot. "What was I supposed to do? I helped Ladybug, and she still wouldn't give me a second thought! Ever since the two of you showed up, powers are the only thing that will get you noticed."

"Are you kidding me?" Chat Noir asked. "We fight a new akuma almost everyday. You're turning into just another name in a list of people who fell under Hawkmoth's powers."

"Not if I become the first to defeat you," Antibug replied. "And without your partner, that's very likely."

"The victory would go to Hawkmoth, not you," Chat Noir argued. "But there is a way for you to be noticed, Chloe. Without anyone else helping."

"I'm listening."

"Fight the akuma. Be the first to beat Hawkmoth's influence. Look at all your classmates, they couldn't fight it. Think about the bragging rights. Think about how impressed Ladybug would be - how impressed Paris would be."

For a split second, it looked like it worked. Then Antibug cried in pain and stumbled, and when she straightened out again, there was nothing but anger in her face.

"Nice try, but I'm not that gullible."

She stepped and launched her yo-yo at Chat Noir. He deflected a throw, dodged another, and then deflected again. He slid under a throw, coming up from under Antibug, and whacked her hard with her baton.

Antibug recovered quickly, and she attacked again. Her yo-yo wrapped around Chat Noir's baron, and his grip was too weak to hold on. The baton spun out of his reach, and Antibug approached with a victorious smile on her face.

"See? I can do what no one else can. I beat you."

 _With the help of Evillustrator, Dark Blade, Rogercop, Mime..._

"You needed Vanisher's help," Chat Noir pointed out. "She's the one who forced Ladybug into using her lucky charm. She's the reason you could take me on one-on-one instead of facing us as a team. Are you willing to let her share the credit?"

Antibug scoffed. "No one cares about Sabrina. No one even knows about Vanisher. I'll be the one to defeat you."

"Is credit all you care about?" Chat Noir asked. "Willing to steal someone else's work? Is it because you don't think you could do it yourself?"

"Stop trying to goad me! I'm not that gullible!" Antibug stomped her foot. "And I'm insulted that you think-"

With Antibug distracted with her rant, Chat Noir saw his chance. He moved quickly, swiping Antibug's feet from under her and launching himself towards his baton. He grabbed it and landed in his fighting stance.

Antibug huffed as she pushed herself back onto her feet. "You keep talking about fighting fairly but you keep distracting me. That's not cool."

"Maybe I just like talking to you?" Chat Noir suggested.

Antibug scowled. "You won't once I'm done with you." She swung her yo-yo, and Chat Noir darted our of its way.

Deflect, deflect, dodge, deflect. Even as his arm tired, Chat Noir managed to keep up with Antibug's attacks. Up until his arm cramped, and he dropped his guard.

This time, when Antibug disarmed him, she tossed his baton off the roof completely.

"No more talking," Antibug decided. "Your ring, Chat Noir."

Something red flashed in the corner of his eye, and Ladybug landed next to him, his baton in her hand. She held it out to him.

"I think you dropped this."

* * *

 **Didn't realize Chloe would be so fun to write!**


	42. Chapter 42: Antibug, Part 2

**Sorry for the wait! I found that in order to post writing, I actual had to write! Who would've thought?**

 **I was afraid I was giving Chloe too much credit in these chapters, but after Miraculer I think I did good.**

 ***Insert Disclaimer Here***

* * *

 **Chapter 42: Antibug, Part 2**

"Ladybug," Antibug growled.

"Chloe," Ladybug replied. "Chat Noir's right. You don't have to do this."

"You're right," Antibug said. "I don't have to do this. I want to."

"Look," Ladybug said. "I'm sorry that I was so dismissive of you."

"It's too late to apologize," Antibug replied. "Besides, I'm having too much fun."

Antibug lunged, her yo-yo lashing out at Ladybug. Ladybug and Chat Noir dodged in opposite directions. Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Antibug's legs and pulled, sending Antibug down on her face.

With a scowl, Antibug swung her yo-yo around Ladybug's wrist and pulled, forcing Ladybug closer. Ladybug pulled at the yo-yo string, trying to slip her hand out. When that didn't work, she grabbed the string and pulled, yanking Antibug off the ground and sending her flying towards the edge of the roof. Antibug released the yo-yo, stopping herself from sliding off the roof, and stood up.

Chat Noir slammed his shoulder into Antibug, and she fell back onto the roof. She kicked out, her heel ramming into Chat Noir's shin. Chat Noir hissed under his breath, backing up a few steps.

Antibug pushed herself back up, scowling.

Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Antibug's ankle, and pulled her around in a circle. She sent her skidding towards the edge of the roof, and Antibug slowed to a stop right at the edge.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo again, but Antibug dodged. She stood up, and circled her yo-yo, creating a shield. Ladybug and Chat Noir began to circle her in opposite directions, hoping to move to where the shield was ineffective.

Antibug moved before either of them had a chance. She wrapped her yo-yo around Chat Noir's wrist, and with a yelp of pain he dropped his baton. She pulled, sending Chat Noir flying into Ladybug.

Ladybug pushed herself back onto her feet and immediately had to dodge an attack. Chat Noir stumbled to his feet a second later, unarmed and wrist screaming in pain.

"My baton's on the other side of the roof," Chat Noir hissed.

"Leave that to me."

Ladybug swung her yo-yo, and so did Antibug. The yoyo's collided midair, and both thunked to the ground uselessly. Ladybug recalled hers first, giving her a split-second advantage, and she wrapped her yo-yo around the baton and pulled it back.

"For you," she said, handing it over to Chat Noir.

"Thank you, m'lady," Chat Noir replied.

Antibug swung her yo-yo, forcing Ladybug to duck. Ladybug swung hers, nearly catching Antibug by her ponytail as she ducked.

Meanwhile, Chat Noir crept around the side, moving as silent as a cat. When he was at a right angle to Ladybug, he moved, sweeping Antibug's feet from under her. She began to fall, and Chat Noir reached to grab her earrings, but she twisted and avoided his grasp. She rolled when she hit the ground, allowing her momentum to help her stand back up.

"Two against one, and look who's winning," She chided.

"It's not two against one," Ladybug reasoned. "You have Hawkmoth's help."

"And you're definitely not winning, either," Chat Noir added.

Antibug huffed in a way only Chloe can. "Maybe it's time to turn the tide. Anti-charm!"

The large, sword-like charm landed in her hands, and Antibug grinned evilly.

"It's a shame I don't have my marbles," Ladybug muttered. "Wow, that sounded wrong."

Antibug charged, swinging her sword, and the two superheroes jumped out of the way. Ladybug swung her yo-yo, aiming for Antibug's legs, but she dodged. She swung the sword at Chat Noir, who deflected it with his baton.

"If I get out of this, I'm never fencing again," Chat Noir decided, his arms still aching from his last fencing match.

Ladybug swung, and this time successfully wrapped her yo-yo around Antibug's torso. She yanked her backwards, sending her down onto the roof. The glass cover moaned under the impact.

Unfortunately, Antibug held onto her charm, and she was back on her feet in under a second.

She swiped at Ladybug, forcing the superhero back. Ladybug ducked under the next swipe, grabbing the arm and pulling it around her. Antibug's front collided with Ladybug's back, and Ladybug maneuvered and tossed Antibug over her back. The glass shattered as the sword fell to the ground. Ladybug kicked the sword off the roof.

Antibug pushed herself out of the glass, just as an idea formed in Ladybug's mind.

Chat Noir moved up next to her. "Nice throw."

"I need you to hold her still for just a moment," Ladybug said.

"I think I can do that," Chat Noir agreed.

Chat Noir deflected Antibug's yo-yo with his baton, allowing him to charge. He deflected again, and swiped at her legs. She dodged.

Ladybug picked up a shard of glass, making sure one end was sharp.

Chat Noir dodged a few more attacks, before grabbing one of Antibug's arms and throwing her down to the ground. She landing on her hands and knees, giving Ladybug the perfect chance.

In one smooth motion, Ladybug grabbed Antibug's ponytail and cut it off with the shard of glass.

Antibug shrieked. "My hair!"

Ladybug held up the end of the ponytail victoriously. "Let me guess? You're about to tell me how long you spent on this."

Antibug sputtered. "But- but you..."

"If you want this back, all you have to do is surrender your earrings," Ladybug said. "And then my powers will reset everything, and you'll have your amazing haircut back."

"She's right, and you know it," Chat Noir added. He was grinning.

"Fine!" Antibug grumbled. She took off the earrings and tossed them at Ladybug. "You win."

* * *

 **Oh, I should probably go ahead and say that this story isn't completely cannon compliant...**

 ***wink wink***


	43. Chapter 43: Kung Food, Part 1

**Disclaimer: this chapter is little bit of a canon divergence from season 2.**

* * *

 **Chapter 43: Kung Food, Part 1**

"No," Ladybug said. "Not him." She shot a nervous look over her shoulder. "It would be like fighting five at once."

Chat Noir suspected that that wasn't the only reason Ladybug didn't want to fight Kung Food, but at this point, they were running out of options.

"It'll be just like fighting a video game, right?" Chat Noir reasoned. "A few lesser bad guys, and then the boss. Besides, it will be much easier to find food if something happens. But if you think it's a bad idea, then okay."

Ladybug sighed. "You're right. Kung Food it is."

* * *

Marinette found herself stuttering for words when she came face-to-face with Adrien.

 _What were we talking about again?_ Marinette racked her brain. They had just figured out that Chloé had sabotaged her uncle's soup. He had stormed off, and Marinette tried to remember the conversation that just had been happening.

"I'm sure your uncle's okay," Adrien said, putting his hand on top of Marinette's.

Heat rushed to Marinette's cheeks as she nodded. "I'm just concerned. Chloé can be so ruthless sometimes. I know what it's like to be on the receiving end."

It was at this point flying dumplings chased a camera man through the lobby, and began broadcasting Kung Food's announcement.

Marinette and Adrien watched as the caramel began pouring down the side of the hotel.

"I have to check on my uncle!" Marinette said. "Why don't you look for a way out?"

"Alright, be careful."

Marinette raced to the stairs, only stopping when the door behind her closed with a thud.

"Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Adrien spotted a closet to transform him and headed in the direction.

He stepped in something sticky on the way, and felt it tug at his shoe.

"Oh come on," he complained, trying to yank his foot out of there. His foot slipped out of his shoe, and he tumbled backwards. "Talk about bad luck."

Continuing with one shoe, Adrien headed for the closet. The door shut behind him, and Plagg flew out of his shirt.

"Good thing your costume doesn't have shoes," he said.

"Uh huh," Adrien replied. "Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

Like before, Ladybug and Chat Noir met in the lobby.

"Quite a sticky situation outdoors," Chat Noir noted. "And I think it's leaking in a little more than last time."

"I wouldn't worry about the caramel," Ladybug replied. "Any minute now, Jagged Stone is going to come through that door and start attacking us with his sword."

"I guess you can say he rocks and sushi-rolls," Chat Noir quipped.

Ladybug groaned.

"We could always take the stairs, see if we can bypass the minions," Chat Noir offered.

Ladybug shook her head. "It's better to fight them one-on-one then have to take all four minions and Kung Food at the same time."

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened, revealing Jagged Stone with his massive sword of seafood.

Ladybug moved instantly, wrapping her yo-yo around his legs and yanking him into the lobby. He pulled himself out of the yo-yo strings, and stood up.

"Now that's just not very rock and roll of you, Ladybug," Jagged Stone said. "Master Kung Food has need of you two."

"Tell him we're busy," Ladybug replied.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo again, and Jagged Stone deflected. He charged at her, but Chat Noir tripped him and he fell on his face. With a scowl, he stood up again.

The pattern repeated, and Jagged Stone face planted again, but he was barely stunned.

"This can't be good for him," Ladybug muttered. "There's a closet down the hallway. Let's see if we can lock him up."

Slowly, Ladybug and Chat Noir edged Jagged Stone through the hallway. The hallway was harder to maneuver in, being more narrow, but it affected Jagged Stone's large sword more than the superhero's smaller weapons.

Ladybug opened the closet door just as Chat Noir tripped Jagged Stone again, sending him sprawling through the door. Ladybug closed the door.

"Next level?" Chat Noir asked.

"Level up," Ladybug agreed.

Something crunched, and the superheroes turned to see the end of Jagged Stone's sword sticking out through the door. It sawed through the wood, around the lock, and the door swung open with a bang.

"Oh come on!" Chat Noir argued. "Even real swords can't do that."

"Are you arguing with what you _saw_ with your own eyes?" Ladybug teased.

"Touché," Chat Noir replied. "Now what?"

"We have to get the sword from him," Ladybug said. "And then we tie him up somewhere."

Jagged Stone charged. Trapped in the hallway with no way to dodge, Chat Noir deflected the attack while Ladybug shouldered him in the chest. Jagged Stone stumbled backwards, but swiped again.

Ladybug and Chat Noir ducked under the attack. Ladybug side-stepped, so that she was on the opposite side of Jagged Stone from Chat Noir.

Jagged Stone raised his sword and brought it down in the direction of Ladybug, who tripped him and chased him to face plant. Ladybug kneeled down, reaching for the sword, but Jagged Stone recovered and slashed the sword at her.

The sword hit her in the chest, sending her back into the wall.

Chat Noir stomped on Jagged Stone's back, sending him back to the floor. He wriggled under the force, and Chat Noir struggled to keep his balance while reaching for the sword.

"I can't keep a hold on it," Chat Noir said. He felt his balance waiver, and in a desperate last attempt, did what he knew he shouldn't.

"Cataclysm!"

The sword crumbled.

* * *

When Jagged Stone was efficiently tied up in the lobby, Ladybug shoved Chat Noir into the closet and stood watch outside.

"The mayor might be on his way right now," Ladybug hissed. "That was a mistake."

"There weren't any flying dumplings around," Chat Noir reasoned. "He probably still think we're fighting Jagged Stone. In fact, as soon as I'm transformed again, we could surprise him."

"No," Ladybug replied. "We're still out numbered. Once you're ready, we'll let him know we've defeated Jagged Stone and he'll send down the mayor. That way, when we reach him, he'll be by himself.

Chat Noir took a deep breath. "Ladybug, I know this akuma is a more personal one for you."

Ladybug's stomach jolted. "What do you mean?"

Silence. And then,

"I know he's your uncle."

* * *

 **This akuma is making me hungry...**


	44. Chapter 44: Kung Food, Part 2

**I can't believe how long this story has gotten!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own MLB***

* * *

 **Chapter 44: Kung Food, Part 2**

Ladybug's mind was whirling as they rode up the elevator.

Chat Noir was watching her out of the corner of his eye, andLadybug could tell he was doubting his decision to tell her he knew. It was a question that she couldn't answer yet.

What she wanted to know was how he knew - and if anyone else could possibly make that connection. Not they could talk about that right now. They had an akuma to handle.

The elevator halted abruptly, just like it did last time, and Ladybug and Chat Noir fell into fighting poses. The doors opened, and the mayor stood in front of them. He spun one end of his sausage rope threateningly.

 _That's Kung Food's real power. Making someone like the mayor actually seem threatening._

Ladybug and Chat Noir ducked under the mayor, acting quicker than he could react, and sped down the hall. One thing they both had learned from the previous fight was that they needed a larger space.

Chat Noir kicked the door in and they entered a nicer suite. The mayor followed.

"Hey, I bet you don't know how to really use your weapon!" Ladybug called, stepping backwards so that the mayor would step under the chandelier. "Can you do this?"  
She spun her yo-yo like last time, finishing it off with a spin over her head.

The mayor chuckled. "Why does it matter?"

"Well, it was worth a try," Chat Noir said next to her.

The mayor attacked, and Ladybug and Chat Noir dodged his initial swings. Chat Noir raised his baton to deflect an attack, and the sausage rope swung around the baton and pulled it from his hands. Chat Noir rolled after it, grabbing it only seconds after it hit the floor.

Ladybug glanced behind her, where the caramel was pouring outside of the window.

"I think I have an idea," Ladybug said. "Cover me!"

Chat Noir nodded, and dodged another on of the mayors attacks. Ladybug raced to the window, and with all her strength tried to open it. It only opened a little, but it was enough to bring some caramel in.

Unfortunately, some caramel got on her arm, and she ended up having to use her yo-yo to cut herself free from the caramel.

"Chat Noir!" She called.

Chat Noir looked up, and then nodded. In one smooth movement, he kicked the mayor in the chest and sent him flying into the caramel. The mayor tried but failed to escape.

"Nice thinking," Chat Noir said, walking up next to her.

"Yeah, but now I'm covered in caramel," Ladybug groaned. She touched it with her finger, and then found she couldn't remove the finger from her arm.

"You might have to detransform to get it off of you," Chat Noir said. "I'll cover you."

Ladybug nodded and hobbled over to the hallway bathroom, well away from the mayor. She opened the door with her none-stuck hand, and let he door close behind her.

"Spots off," she said, and to her relief, the caramel disappeared.

"You were sure in a sticky situation for a while there," Tikki said.

Marinette groaned. "Not you too."

Marinette fished out a macaroon her past self had brought with her, and handed it to Tikki. She splashed her face with water from the sink to help refresh herself.

"Chat Noir dropped quite a bomb on you," Tikki whispered.

Marinette nodded. "Yeah, he did. What do you want think about it?"

"It's safest if no one knows your secret," Tikki said. "You know that. But you and Chat Noir have been fighting the Unclocker for a while now, and in a situation like this it's hard to keep your guard up."

"You're right," Marinette agreed. "I just wish I knew when he figured it out, so I'd know not to do that again."

"Why don't you ask him?" Tikki suggested.

* * *

Chat Noir greeted Ladybug with a pun as she left the bathroom, and they headed for the elevator.

"Ms Cesaire and Alec are next," Ladybug mused.

"Desserts and cheese, right?" Chat Noir remembered.

"Right," Ladybug agreed. "If we set it up so they shoot each other..."

"They'll knock themselves out," Chat Noir finished.

"Sounds like a plan," Ladybug agreed.

When they stepped out of the elevator, they immediately were under attack. Ladybug batted away a stinky cheese bomb and Chat Noir dodged a candy cane arrow.

"Looks like dessert came early," Chat Noir muttered.

The two heroes split up. Ladybug dodged right as another cheese bomb flew over her head, and Chat Noir ran ran left.

Ladybug dodged another stinky cheese bomb, the movement sending a flare of pain up her leg. She stumbled, and didn't recover in time to dodge another bomb. The cheese exploded, making her eyes water.

She coughed through the smell, trying to keep her eyes open despite the sting. She could see Alec aiming with his crossbow, and Ladybug dodged once again as a stinky cheese bomb flew her way. She continued towards the opposite elevator. Chat Noir met her there, and they raced through the center.

Both Alec and Chef Cesaire raised their weapons and fired. Chat Noir and Ladybug ducked, and the candy cane arrow struck Alec as the stinky cheese bomb exploded at Chef Cesaire's feet.

Ladybug threw her yo-yo, wrapping it around Alec's crossbow, and tugged. The crossbow slipped out of his hands and Ladybug caught it. Chat Noir used his baton to nip the bow from Chef Cesaire, and broke it over his knee.

Ladybug looked at the crossbow, an idea forming. She wrapped her yo-yo around Alec's legs, swiping them from underneath him. She retrieved her yo-yo, and grabbed a stinky cheese bomb from Alec's sash.

"These really stink," Ladybug commented.

"My kwami would probably like it then," Chat Noir commented. "He had a thing for stinky cheese."

"That can't be fun," Ladybug replied.

She loaded the cross bow and moved into the elevator, Chat Noir by her side.

"Ready for the master chef?" Chat Noir asked.

"Ready."

* * *

 ***MLB here refers to Miraculous Ladybug, though I do not own major league baseball either**


	45. Chapter 45: Kung Food, Part 3

**Now to the boss battle!**

* * *

 **Chapter 45: Kung Food, Part 3**

Ladybug immediately let loose the stinky cheese bomb. The bomb exploded at Kung Food's feet, blinding him. Chat Noir extended his baton, knocking his hat off.

"Ladybug!" Chloe cried. "Save me!"

Ladybug and Chat Noir both ran for the hat, jumping up with their eyes closed and flipping over Kung Food. They landed on the other side, right where the hat should be.

"Where'd it go?" Ladybug asked.

"You were too slow," Kung Food said, replacing the hat on his head. "And now, you will be the surprise ingredients in my soup!"

"You know, I don't think I'd taste good," Chat Noir said.

"Ladybug!" Chloe called.

"Give me a moment, Chloe."

"Target his bag, right?" Chat Noir recalled.

"That's where the food is," Ladybug replied.

Together they lunged for Kung Food. Kung Food pulled out his massive pizza/hamburger staff and swiped Ladybug away. She landed at the edge of the pool, the soup boiling next to her.

Chat Noir and Kung Food fought for a moment, baton against pizza staff. Kung Food got in a good hit, sending Chat Noir back a few paces, but Chat Noir recovered quickly.

Ladybug and Chat Noir both lunged again. Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Kung Food, while Chat Noir brought his baton down hard on the staff. The staff broke into pieces.

Kung Food roared, pushing against the yo-yo. He moved forward, taking out any slack off the string, and starting pulling against Ladybug's grip. Ladybug dug her good heal into the floor.

"Chat Noir, now!"

Before Chat Noir had a chance, Kung Food bucked forward, yanking the yo-yo string and sending Ladybug flying a few feet. Kung Food shivered out of the strings, now with lots of extra slack, and landed a nasty punch to Chat Noir stomach.

"I thought chefs usually went the other way to the stomach," Chat Noir commented.

Ladybug stood up and retrieved her yo-yo.

Kung Food reached in his bag and grabbed something small. He held it up in front of Ladybug.

"Give me the earrings or I'll show you true spiciness!" He threatened.

"Never."

Kung Food's grip tightened, and something sprayed out of his hand. Hot sauce hit Ladybug right in the face, blinding her. She yelped, stepped backwards, and her heel hit the edge of the pool. She fell backwards, hitting the boiling soup.

Thankfully, the suit protected most of her, and only the skin on her face was uncovered. She kicked herself back to the surface and pulled herself back up onto dry ground.

Chat Noir was instantly by her side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Ladybug replied. She cracked open her eyes, glad she could still see, though it burned.

Ladybug pushed herself up, and she and Chat Noir faced Kung Food.

Kung Food flung something small at them, and popcorn kernels fell at their feet. Then they began popping, each one a large pop that forced the superheroes to dance around them.

Kung Food squeezes another small bottle out, and a yellow liquid spread out against the floor. Chat Noir stepped in it, and when he tried to lift his foot, it stuck to the floor.

"Not again," he groaned.

Kung Food pulled his giant sword out of his bag, and swung it at Chat Noir. It collided with his ribs, sending him flying towards the pool. He rolled to a stop at the edge of the pool.

Kung Food swung his sword at Ladybug, who dodged. She maneuvered so that Kung Food was standing between her and the sticky ground, and slowly pushed forward. He swung his sword, and Ladybug ducked under.

Chat Noir groaned and stood up, grabbing his baton off the ground. He joined Ladybug's side.

"A brilliant plan," he muttered. He leaped over a swing, his feet coming just over the top of the large sword, while Ladybug rolled underneath.

"Think you can grab his bag?" Ladybug said.

"Easily," Chat Noir replied. He lifted a foot, it sticking to the ground for a brief second.

"Stuck in a sticky situation, Chaton?" Ladybug teased.

Chat Noir chuckled. "You could say that."

Kung Food swung again, and the two superheroes dodged.

Another swing. Ladybug rolled under the sword and up onto her knee. She swung her yo-yo, catching the Kung Food's leg. She pulled, knocking him off balance and sending him backwards.

Chat Noir saw his chance, and extended his baton outwards. As Kung Food's arms flailed, Chat Noir hooked his baton under the strap of his bag and pull it off. The bag fell onto his baton, and slid down to Chat Noir.

Kung Food fell onto the ground hard. He let out a groan, and then moved to stand up. But he had fallen right in the sticky place, and the ground refused to let him up.

Ladybug stood up and walked up to Kung Food, easily grabbing his chef's hat. Half of it stuck to the floor, and it ripped as she grabbed it.

The winds picked up.

* * *

"You look a little red," Chat Noir noticed.

"It was the soup," Ladybug admitted. "I'm lucky it's only a little burned. Hot soup can be painful. So, who next?"

* * *

 **Next chapter will deal with the identity reveal**


	46. Chapter 46: Vanisher, Part 1

**I can't believe how close I am to completing _The Unclocker -_ one of my longest running stories! I've been brainstorming ideas for a new story, and come up with some ideas. I'd love your opinion on what to work on next, so I put a poll up on my profile! Please vote!**

* * *

 **Chapter 46: Vanisher, Part 1**

Chat Noir and Ladybug met up on the Eiffel Tower as planned, at 3 am the next morning. They sat next to each other on one of the large beams near the top of the tower, where they both got a good look over Paris.

It was early, but the two superheroes had over 24 hours of rest. Sabrina had been akumatized early evening, and it had taken a full school day and a half the first time for them to realize what was happening. They had figured they could take the extra time again.

The burns on Ladybug's face had been minor, thanks to the protection of her miraculous, and healed quickly. Her ankle, on the other hand, hadn't - but she now had a brace to wear in her civilian form and plenty of pain meds. Resting and icing it had helped too.

Chat Noir's allergies had finally calmed down, and an extra dose of allergy medicine should help with any future run-ins with feathers. He also had a brace for his wrist, now, and adequate pain meds.

And both heroes and their kwamis had gotten something they needed: sleep.

But as good as rest and sleep were, there was something else that needed to be done.

Ladybug ran through the mental list of everything they needed to talk about. First and foremost:

"How did you figure it out?"

Chat was silent a moment before speaking.

"It was small things - changes in events. Like when we faced Stormy Weather, the first time, Alya and Mannon were stuck alone, while this time, you were stuck with them. Timebreaker was similar - Marinette escaped, and Ladybug showed up. Marinette didn't escape, and Ladybug didn't show up. Same thing with Gamer."

"Is that all?" Ladybug asked. "Small changes from The Unclocker?"

Chat Noir nodded. "Pretty much."

"Good," Ladybug decided. "That means no one else could have caught those slip ups."

Chat Noir smiled. "Your secret's safe with me. I won't let the cat out of the bag."

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "I know, Chaton. No need to bring out the puns. Besides, we have other things to talk about."

"Vanisher?" Chat Noir guessed.

"And Chloe," Ladybug added. "But first, we need a plan for The Unclocker. What we've been doing isn't going to continue to work."

"We only have a few akumas left," Chat Noir said. "Princess Fragrance, Simon Says, Puppeteer, Volpina, Blasto."

"And Dark Cupid," Ladybug added. "That's six. Plus Vanisher."

"After everything, I think six is easy," Chat Noir commented.

"But they're the six hardest," Ladybug argues. "Four are capable of controlling others. The other two were some of the hardest fights we've ever had. And a day of rest may have helped, but how much? My ankle hasn't healed that much, or your wrist."

"And fighting Blasto without my cataclysm..." Chat Noir shuddered at the thought. "You're right, of course. But what can we do?"

Ladybug tapped her fingers thoughtfully. "Time travel, right? We know we can affect the future, if only a little. The Unclocker had be to akumatized shortly after Blasto. If we could figure out how she was akumatized, maybe we could stop it."

"That's a good plan, except Blasto isn't exactly the akuma to run off on a secret mission."

"Maybe not," Ladybug said. "But if we can't touch her, we have to have some other way of defeating The Unclocker. She won't just let us go after we've finished with the other akumas."

"You're right. But how do we figure that out?"

"I have Alya on a secret project for that," Ladybug said. "Hopefully she'll come through. But if she doesn't-"

"Then we'll have to figure out something for ourselves," Chat Noir finished. "What's her goal?"

"What?" Ladybug looked at him. "Our Miraculous."

"I know," Chat Noir said. "But what about her personal goal? Most akumas have their own goals too."

Ladybug frowned. "That's a good point, Chaton. Has she made a move against anyone else?"

"Not that I've seen," Chat Noir said. "She must have a grudge against us."

Ladybug nodded. "If so, that probably means she was at the scene where we fought Blasto."

"That makes sense," Chat Noir agreed. "Something in that fight affected her somehow. Hawkmoth swooped in with a way to prevent the fight from taking place at all - giving her powers to make us lose in the past. It makes perfect sense."

"So we just have to find her," Ladybug figured. "And keep that from happening. Sounds like a plan."

"So when do we fight Blasto?" Chat Noir asked.

"We should wait and see if Alya can dig up any more information," Ladybug figured. "Which brings up the next point - who do we fight next?"

"If we want to give Alya all the time she needs, we'll have to fight the other five first." Chat Noir made a face. "I'm not looking forward to being controlled by Princess Fragrance or Puppeteer again."

"Hopefully we can avoid that," Ladybug reasoned. "Princess Fragrance - all we need to is stop our noses and keep from smelling her perform. Puppeteer - we can get an early start and destroy Marin - well, my dolls."

"What about Dark Cupid?" Chat Noir asked. "I don't want to fight you."

"We got distracted last time," Ladybug said. "We'll be more alert next time. Then there's Simon Says."

"We know where he's heading," Chat Noir said. "Get there early, maybe trap him with those fancy security measures. And then Volpina - we know she's a liar, right? Just don't believe anything she says."

"I hope it's as easy as it sounds," Ladybug said. "Who do you think will be easiest?"

"Princess Fragrance," Chat Noir suggested. "I made a lot of stupid mistakes - but if I avoid them-"

"Unfortunately, my mistakes would already be made," Ladybug admitted. "I... lost my kwami."

"You what?"

"Lost my kwami. And then she got sick and I-"

"Don't worry," Chat Noir reassured. "I can handle myself."

"Okay, Princess Fragrance next," Ladung agreed. "Then Simon Says?"

"Him?" Chat Noir asked. "Are you sure?"

"We managed to avoid being hit by him last time," Ladybug said. "And your plan to catch him sounded good."

"If you're sure," Chat Noir said. "And then maybe we should get Dark Cupid out of the way."

Ladybug nodded. "Just no taking arrows for me, Chaton. Then it's between Volpina and Puppeteer."

"Volpina," Chat Noir reasoned. "She may be deceptive, but there's only one of her."

"I agree." Ladybug leaned her head against the beam. "Now, all we have to do is face Vanisher. And Chloe."

"Chloe might be able to help us," Chat Noir reasoned.

Ladybug shook her head. "Too dangerous for her, especially with the extra bad luck. She needs to stay out of the way."

"She wants to help," Chat Noir reiterated. "Wait - what if we give her a job to help that won't actually put her in harms way? Satisfy her need and keep her safe."

"That might work. Did you have anything in mind?"

* * *

 **As we've finally gotten to the reveal, I couldn't help but think about when I first published this story, and my roommate was reading it. She made a comment to another friend in the fandom about how Chat Noir kept noticing Marinette in different places and still not figuring out her secret identity, and me grinning to myself because I had already planned the reveal out. Unfortunately, I think she's stopped reading this, but she's been a big idea bouncer throughout the process!**


	47. Chapter 47: Vanisher, Part 2

**Disclaimer: still don't own anything.**

* * *

 **Chapter 47: Vanisher, Part 2**

"Chloe, we need to talk," Ladybug said.

"You've come to save me?" Chloe asked. "I always knew you would!"

"It's our job," Ladybug replied.

"We believe your friend Sabrina has been akumatized," Chat Noir added.

"Sabrina?" Chloe huffed and sat in one of the large, expensive chairs in her bedroom. "Please. As if she'd do something this daring."

"Anyone can be akumatized, Chloe." _Especially after hanging around you._

"We were hoping you'd know what the akumatized object would be?" Chat Noir added.

Chloe hmmed thoughtfully. "Her best friend pin. I bought it for her. It might be the most expensive thing she has."

"Good," Ladybug said. "Now, we need a few more things. Any makeup, glitter, anything powdery and colorful we could use."

"Of course."

Chloe ran off to gather all her makeup - which would probably take a while, considering that she's Chloe - while Ladybug looked at the giant screen against the wall that was displaying the lobby.

"Chat Noir, can you handle the other thing we talked about?" Ladybug asked.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather handle that and I take care of Chloe?" Chat Noir asked.

"I can handle Chloe," Ladybug reassured. "It's Vanisher we need to worry about."

Chat Noir nodded and moved to leave. Ladybug watched him, surprised by the feeling of anxiety it was causing her.

"Chat Noir!" She called.

Chat Noir looked over his shoulder. "M'lady?"

Ladybug halted. They needed to stick to the plan.

"Just. Be careful."

Chat Noir nodded. "I will."

As Chat Noir left, Ladybug turned her attention to the screen. Nothing seemed disturbed. But Vanisher was close - last time, she had struck as soon as she knew Ladybug was on to her. Hopefully, they'd be able to surprise her this time, but even if they didn't, Ladybug was sure her plan would work.

Something slammed behind Ladybug, and Chloe screamed.

"Chloe?"

Ladybug raced towards the source of the scream, reaching the bathroom of the suite. Chloe was on the floor, hair a mess, and makeup products scattered over the ground.

"She's here!" Chloe yelled.

Ladybug glanced at the products around her and picked up a thing of blush. She flipped the case open, blew over the blush, and circled around. The blush flew through the air uninterrupted, but Ladybug kept blowing as she moved. The blush covered the ground.

A little bit of the blush on the ground moved, and Ladybug threw her yo-yo in that direction. It wrapped around something solid, and Ladybug yanked.

Thud.

Ladybug grabbed Chloe arm roughly and pushed her out of the bathroom. The two girls hurried down the hall towards the elevator.

"Wait! I have some more makeup in my bag!" Chloe yelled.

"Good idea. I'll grab it - you get out of here! Take the stairs up to the roof!"

"Good luck Ladybug!"

Ladybug grabbed Chloe bag, spread it's contents out over the bed and grabbed the small makeup container. She reached the elevator and punched the button for the lobby.

She caught a glimpse at something pink on the ground just before the door closed.

Vanisher.

Ladybug's hands went up to protect her earrings, and her left wrist hit something hard. Reflexively, she grabbed the solid object with her left hand, reached with her right hand, and twisted Vanisher's arm to force the girl onto her knees.

"I had this all planned out," Ladybug said. "But I guess I could just take you now instead."

"Not a chance," Vanisher hissed.

Ladybug moved her stance until she was sure she had Vanisher in a compromising position. She forced her arm behind her back, shifting her grip to once hand, and reached for the clip on her chest.

Something rammed into Ladybug's chin, forcing her backwards. Ladybug's gripped loosened, and Vanisher broke out of the grab.

The doors opened with a ding, and Ladybug threw her yo-yo around the chandelier in the lobby and swung towards the other side. Her feet hit the lobby floor with a splash.

"Is this what you were hoping for?" Chat Noir asked, twirling the hose he was holding in his hand. The water still spouting splashed the ceiling above them, and water dropped down to the superheroes.

Ladybug looked around the lobby, which now had about half an inch of water covering it.

"Good job," Ladybug commented.

They knew the plan worked a second later, when a splash was heard coming up from the elevator. Ladybug could track Vanisher's movements through the water as she made her way over to the superheroes.

"Here already?" Chat Noir commented.

"She hitched a ride," Ladybug said. "Splash her really good."

Using the splashing water on the ground to track her movements, Chat Noir aimed for Vanisher. The water hit something solid, and slowly dripping water formed the silhouette of Vanisher. Water hit water, the dripping noise preventing Vanisher from sneaking anywhere.

Chat Noir dropped the hose for his baton, and Ladybug spun her yo-yo.

"It's over now, Vanisher," Ladybug called.

"I can still beat you Ladybug!" Vanisher called back.

"Not a chance."

Together, Chat Noir and Ladybug charged towards the water form, launching themselves over the table in the lobby. They landed on either side of Vanisher, and both grabbed an arm and forced her down to the ground.

Ladybug used one hand to feel over Vanisher's shoulder, inching down until her hand hit the edge of her pin. She pulled it off, and held one end up to Chat Noir.

Chat Noir adjusted his position so he was holding Vanisher's arm with one hand and reached with the other. He grabbed the other end of the pin and yanked it down. The pin snapped into two.

* * *

 **Invisibility is such an interesting concept to play with. Definitely had fun with this** **chapter!**


	48. Chapter 48: Princess Fragrance, Part 1

**I can't believe how long this story has gotten!**

* * *

 **Chapter 48: Princess Fragrance, Part 2**

Marinette was so not ready for this one.

She and Chat Noir had both made pretty stupid mistakes during their time as superheroes, but losing Tikki had to be at the top of her list. And now she had to figure out how to get the kwami back from Chloe again, before she could join Chat Noir.

Marinette watched Chloe's limo pull away from the school, trying to come up with a strategy to getting into Chloe's room. With luck not on her side, she didn't think her strategy last time would work. What had the butler told her - Chloe liked sushi?

Well, fine, then sushi she'd get.

Half running, half walking, Marinette made her way to the closest sushi restaurant. She couldn't help but scowl when she saw the line. It looked like she'd be stuck for a while.

Her mind wandered to other solutions. Theoretically, as the miraculous wielder, she could recall Tikki to her by force - except that could rouse suspicion from Chloe, and Tikki was so sick Marinette didn't want to force her to use any more magic than necessary.

Now, if she had another Miraculous to use...

Marinette shook the thought out of her head. With all the bad luck, it was dangerous to bring another Miraculous into play. Besides, she had only begun to learn about the other Miraculous - could she use them?

Marinette only wished she had started with a better plan. She and Chat Noir had come up with one for his side of things - taking care of Prince Ali until Ladybug could show up. But she hadn't given much thought into her side, on how she was to retrieve Tikki.

The customer at the front of the line was having a heated argument with the cashier. Marinette watched the manager come out to handle the situation, her hopes on a fast solution beginning to fade.

* * *

Chat Noir launched himself through the window, landing next to where the mayor and prince were setting up.

"Chat Noir?" The mayor asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard the prince was in town," Chat Noir replied. "I was thinking that you could use a little extra help with his protection."

"The prince's protection has already been arranged," the prince's assistant said.

Chat Noir shook his head. "We received a tip that an akuma might be targeting Prince Ali. Ladybug's investigating further, but she sent me ahead."

"Very well," the mayor agreed. "Perhaps we should cancel the event entirely."

"Nonsense," the assistant reply. "The prince's schedule is set. There is no need to change it."

"Don't worry," Chat Noir said. "I'll be right here if anything happens."

* * *

Just as Marinette finally reached the front of the line, the registers broke.

Marinette sighed. "It's fine. It's not your fault. I'll just have to figure something else out."

The cashier sighed in relief.

As Marinette walked out, she brought her phone out to check on the status of Prince Ali. The press conference had already started, meaning that Tikki has already been given to Prince Ali.

Princess Fragrance was due any second, and Marinette still couldn't transform.

There had to be quicker way. Maybe she could go back to the pizza box from the trash, or -

Oh, duh. She could use sushi trash instead.

Marinette dug out a few empty containers from the trash, cleaned them up, and headed for the hotel.

* * *

Chat Noir kept half his attention on Prince Ali's jacket during the press conference.

He had recognized the kwami instantly, when Chloe had given it to Prince Ali, but he had no way of getting the kwami from the prince. Yet.

Something moved in the corner of his eye, and Chat Noir turned to see a shape slip into the back of the room. He didn't see a face, but he had a feeling it was Marinette.

The figure ducked behind the DJ platform, waiting for a chance. Chat Noir turned his attention back to the prince, an idea forming in his head.

In the distance, a sing-song voice could be heard. "Oh prince!"

"Akuma," Chat Noir called. "Everybody out!"

He reached the prince just as the press exited the room.

"I have a plan," Chat Noir said. "And I promise it's safe. Take your jacket off and leave it here, we don't want it getting caught somewhere."

Prince Ali nodded, taking off his jacket and leaving it on the ground. Chat Noir opened the window, and extended his baton so that it reached the ground.

"You three first," he told the two adults and Chloe. "I'll carry the prince down."

Chloe and the mayor reached the ground without problem, and the assistant was just getting on, when Princess Fragrance and her servants burst into the room.

"Oh prince!" She called, aiming her perfume gun.

"Go! I've got the prince!" Chat Noir called. The assistant nodded.

Princess Fragrance fired, but the burst of perfume was interrupted with a vacuum.

"What- who?" Princess Fragrance stuttered.

Chat Noir got a glimpse of the figure - a pink blanket thrown over her regular clothes, and a helmet concealing her face - before picking Prince Ali up and lifting him onto his back.

"Ready?" Chat Noir asked. Prince Ali nodded.

Chat Noir ducked out the window, collapsing his baton as he sped to the ground.

When he hit the ground, Chat Noir let Prince Ali off of his back and reached into his pockets. He brought out a series of clothespins.

"Good thing I came prepared," Chat Noir commented. He handed one to each civilian, and then plugged his own noise with one. "Now, let's get out of here."

* * *

Princess Fragrance blasted Marinette with perfume before turning her attention back to the prince.

"Where did he go?" She yelped. Completely ignoring the open window, she headed for the door on the other side of the room.

Marinette didn't move until Princess Fragrance and servants disappeared. She pushed herself up, taking off her helmet and shaking her pigtails loose. The clothespin on her nose had stayed secure, which was why she wasn't a mindless servant right now.

Once she was up and dehelmeted, Marinette rushed to where Prince Ali had left his jacket. Thankfully, Tikki was still tucked into the jacket pocket.

"Smart kitty," Marinette muttered as she pulled the kwami out. "Tikki, are you alright?"

Tikki nodded. "That was a really smart thing to do, with the vacuum."

"It worked last time," Marinette replied. "Alright, let's get you some help."

* * *

 **Just so you all know - school's starting back tomorrow, so my updates may become a little unpredictable.**


	49. Chapter 49: Princess Fragrance, Part 2

**Hi! Sorry about the wait - but the next to chapters are intense so writing them is taking forever. And only partly because I'm distracted with a gazillion other things.**

 **It might be a while until the next chapter gets up, but it will be up eventually!**

* * *

 **Chapter 49: Princess Fragrance, Part 2**

As the assistant drove, Chat Noir watched the reports on Princess Fragrance on his baton.

Being a superhero had its perks - while the mayor, Chloe, and Prince Ali were stuffed together in the backstreet, Chat Noir had been able to claim shotgun. Neither father nor daughter (nor prince) looked thrilled at being squished together.

" - think she's heading for the Eiffel Tower," a reporter reported.

"That's good," Chat Noir commented. "We'll get you all to safety. There's a subway station just around here. You'll be safe there."

The assistant frowned. "Surely there's a health risk in being in an underground subway?"

"Don't worry about it," Chat Noir replied. "The city has been improving-" _well, saying they were going to improve_ "the subways since so many people take refuge there."

"I assure you Paris's subway is quite impressive," the mayor added.

The assistant sighed and relented, and Chat Noir gave her the directions. They pulled up right next to the stairs, and the five of them got out of the car.

"What is that?" Prince Ali asked, pointing towards the Eiffel Tower.

Chat Noir looked over his shoulder, noticing a large pink cloud expanding in the sky.

"Perfume," Chat Noir said. "Let's get you underground."

* * *

Marinette sat down on a bench in front of the store she had just been.

She opened the bag of balloons, leaving one out with the lighter and clothespin she had just bought.

"Alright, I think I have everything," Marinette said.

"What are you planning?" Tikki asked.

"Just using what worked last time," Marinette admitted. "We need to get going. Chat Noir's been left alone for long enough."

She looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching.

"Ready?" Marinette asked.

Tikki nodded.

"Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

"Prince Ali is safe," Chat Noir reported when Ladybug landed.

"Good job, kitty," Ladybug replied. She flicked his bell playfully. "I'm glad I have a partner I can count on."

"You can always count on me," Chat Noir answered. "You have a plan for Princess Fragrance?"

Ladybug nodded and grabbed the lighter and balloon from her yo-yo. "The lighter will take care of the perfume cloud, and the balloon should cover the perfume bottle."

Ladybug clicked open the lighter, and Chat Noir used his baton to hit it like a baseball.

The cloud erupted with a bang.

Princess Fragrance screeched. "No!"

She landed on the ground, surrounded by the Parisians already affected by her perfume. "Who dares interfere with the search for my love?"

Chat Noir and Ladybug landed in front of her.

"We do," Ladybug said. "It's game over!"

With her enhanced aim, Ladybug threw the balloon and it landed over the top of Princess Fragrance's perfume bottle.

"Get them!" Princess Fragrance yelled.

"At your service Princess Fragrance," the Parisians chorused.

Ladybug threw her yo-yo, wrapping it around Princess Fragrance's wrists. Chat Noir held back the civilians, but it was difficult without injuring anyone. Someone managed to duck under his block and tackle Ladybug.

Ladybug yelped and stumbled. She easily dislodged the civilian, but the distraction was enough for Princess Fragrance to rescue her wrist and perfume bottle.

Ladybug used her yo-yo to block two more dive-bombing Parisians.

"She's escaping!" Chat Noir called.

Ladybug looked up to where Princess Fragrance was heading back up the Eiffel Tower via the elevator.

"Let's go join her." Ladybug swung her yo-yo and wrapped it on a pole on the top, and a second later she had take off.

Her ankle screamed in pain, and Ladybug looked back to see what caused it.

A civilian had managed to grab onto her bad ankle, and was coming up with her. It was too late to shake him off without him being injured in the fall, so Ladybug grabbed his shirt with her free hand and lugged him onto the platform.

She landed next to him, and Chat Noir landed next to her.

The civilian stood up just as the elevator dinged.

"At your service, Princess Fragrance," the civilian sung.

"It's over," Ladybug said. "You're surrounded."

"Looks like the odds are even from where I'm standing," Princess Fragrance replied. "Get them!"

"At your service-"

Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around his ankle and tossed him over the side. Her yo-yo slowed the decent enough that he wouldn't be injured, but he was stuck on the ground again.

"You know you can't fight us both," Ladybug said.

"We're unstoppable," Chat Noir added.

"So is true love!" Princess Fragrance said. "No one will stop me from finding my prince!"

Ladybug sighed. "Let's finish this."

The two superheroes moved as a team. Ladybug swung her yo-yo, wrapping it around Princess Fragrance's torso and trapping her arms. Chat Noir extended his baton, and the end rammed hard into the perfume bottle.

It shattered easily.

* * *

"Simon Says next?" Ladybug asked.

Chat Noir took a shaky breathe. "Yeah I guess."

He was pretty sure a civilian had almost died - nearly been thrown off the Eiffel, if Ladybug hadn't reacted like she had - and it made him worry, since-

Ladybug sighed and put her hand on his arm. "I know this one hits closer to home for you."

Chat Noir frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I know the man he targets is your father."

* * *

 **More will come! And this time - with plot! And Hawkmoth! And Nino!**


	50. Chapter 50: Simon Says, Part 1

**Fifty chapters! Wow! I can't believe how big this story has gotten!**

* * *

 **Chapter 50: Simon Says, Part 1**

 _She knows._

It was easy to figure out how - his explanation for finding out her identity revealed that he had a familiarity with Marinette. And since almost everyone else she was familiar with had been akumatized, it made sense that she had figured it out.

Yet Adrien could not wrap his mind around the fact that _she knows_.

Nino bumped his arm with his elbow. "You alright dude? You looked a little zoned there."

"I'm fine," Adrien replied. "Just-"

The door banged open behind them as Simon Says made his entrance, cards at the ready.

"Simon Says-"

"Akuma," Adrien said. "Let's get out of here."

He pushed Nino towards the door, and the two darted for the exit.

"Not so fast-"

The door closed behind Adrien and Nino, cutting off whatever villain speech Simon Says was giving.

"We should split up," Adrien suggested.

"Dude, horrible idea," Nino replied. "Have you ever seen a movie before?"

"Just trust me," Adrien said. "If we split up, he can only get one of us."

"I'd rather he get neither of us," Nino replied.

"Nino-"

"Fine. Just be careful, dude."

Adrien put on his most reassuring smile. "Of course."

Just as the doors opened behind them, Nino turned left and Adrien turned right.

"Simon Says get them!"

The second he was out of view from the others, Adrien stopped.

"Alright Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

"Ladybug!"

Ladybug turned towards the source of the sound just as Nino ran up to her.

"What's happening?" Ladybug asked.

"The akuma," Nino said. "I didn't see what he could do but, my friend Adrien-"

"Don't worry," Ladybug said. "I'll find him."

"Thanks dude - I mean, Ladybug."

"Chat Noir's already in the building," Ladybug continued. "Just get to safety and stay hidden."

When Nino nodded and continued running, Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and dialed Chat Noir.

He answered immediately, his picture moving as he weaved around the hypnotized soldiers.

"I'm on my way to you," Ladybug told him. "Hold on."

"My heart eagerly-" whatever romantic line Chat Noir had been about to say was interrupted by a body dive from the gorilla.

Chat Noir's face reappeared. "Just get here soon, okay?"

Ladybug nodded, closed her yo-yo and ran to the stairs, filing away the fact that _Adrien Agreste_ had just tried to flirt with her for later.

She hadn't been trying to figure out Chat Noir's identity, but when he indirectly revealed he knew her, it was just process of elimination. And now, she was desperately trying to ignore the fact whenever she could.

It wasn't like she had a problem with her crush being Chat Noir. It was more like she had a problem with Adrien having an obvious crush on her.

And the flirting - but no, she wasn't thinking about that, thank you very much.

Ladybug turned a corner into the hallway where Chat Noir was being ambushed by Simon Says soldiers. He was twisting and turning under their attacks, or blocking with his baton when needed, but he was outnumbered and starting to be overwhelmed.

Simon Says stood between Ladybug and the ambush, snarling and tossing cards whenever he had a clear shot. Chat Noir dodged a throw, and a paralysis card missed and hit one of the soldiers instead.

"Hey," Ladybug called. "I think you need a new stylists, because your outfit is hurting my eyes."

"Simon Says you're nothing more than an annoying pest."

Simon Says launched his cards, and Ladybug dodged out of the way with ease.

"I'm a very effective pest, thank you very much," Ladybug replied. She tossed her yo-yo, wrapping it around his legs.

"Simon Says your yo-yo is-"

 _Not again!_ Ladybug recalled her yo-yo just in time to miss the card.

Chat Noir grabbed a soldier and tossed her at Simon Says. The bodies collided, and Simon Says stumbled forward, nearly dropping his cards as he did so.

Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Simon Says wrist, but he switched his cards to his other hand.

"Simon Says your-" Ladybug pulled his wrist, knocking him off balance, but he kept talking. "Yo-yo is useless."

He launched a card, and once again Ladybug narrowly avoided it.

The Gorilla's fist slammed into Chat Noir's side, sending him into the wall. Chat Noir groaned, but was able to roll out of the way as three other soldiers tried to dog-pile him.

Ladybug pulled Simon Says closer to her. "It's over for you."

"Simon Says it's over for you." He launched another card, right at Ladybug's face. Ladybug ducked, and the card soared right past her.

Simon Says used the distraction to grab her yo-yo string with his caught hand and pull it abruptly. Ladybug stumbled forward. Simon Says grabbed more cards and said something, and Ladybug launched herself forward to avoid being hit. Multiple cards hit the floor behind her.

Simon Says continued spraying her with cards, forcing her to constantly changed positions.

"Where are you even getting all these cards from?" Ladybug grumbled. "Aren't you going to run out?"

"They're magic cards," Simon Says. "Of course they aren't going to run out."

"That's not fair," Ladybug decided.

She watched as Chat Noir dodged a body dive from another soldier, just in time to twist out of the way of an attack from behind.

"We need a different approach," Ladybug called. "Lucky charm!"

* * *

The two superheroes collapsed in the bathroom, their transformations dropping together.

"That was close," Marinette commented, leaning against the wall.

"Agreed," Adrien said, back to the door.

They both let out a relieved sigh, before turning to each other.

Marinette's brain froze for a second.

She had figured out who Chat Noir was, so seeing Adrien there shouldn't have been a surprise. And yet, there was something about seeing him there that made her pause.

"What?" Adrien asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

Marinette blinked. "What? No, I just -"

Next to Adrien, a black kwami huffed. "It's about time."

"Plagg, be nice," Tikki chided.

"So, whats the plan?" Adrien asked.

"With us out of sight, he'll be heading towards-"

Marinette's brainstorming was cut short by Adrien's phone ringing.

"It's Nino," Adrien said. "Hello?"

Marinette couldn't hear what was being said, but she could guess. Lots of _dudes_ , _are you okays_ , and _where are yous_.

"Nino, I'm fine," Adrien said. "Ladybug found me. We're on the seventh floor in the bathroom near the elevators."

Marinette facepalmed. _Why would you tell him that? He's going to try to find us now._

"No, you don't have to - I didn't mean for you - alright, I'll stay put." Adrien hung up and gave Marinette a hopeless look.

"Sorry, he's just worried," he said.

Marinette sighed. "It's fine. You just won't be able to transform for a while. We'll get you two safe at your place, where we'll keep your father safe and defeat Simon Says."

"And you better transform soon!" Tikki added. "Before Nino sees you!"

"You're right," Marinette agreed. "Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

 **The next chapter might be a little long, and consequently a little late, but it'll be worth it!**


End file.
